Although there are different terms for “the teacher professional development”, it involves two aspects: one is the concept of teacher professional development and the other is the process and content of teacher development. Fullan and Hargreaves (1992) think that teacher professional development is both particularly intended development in teacher education or teacher training and the process made in the scope of objective explanation awareness, teaching skill and collaborative ability. Lieberman gives an explanation of teacher professional development after comparing of teacher professional development with in-service education or staff development. He emphasizes that teacher professional development is concerned with the sustainable inquiry into teaching practice. So he views teachers as “adult-learners” and “reflective practitioners.” Past teacher training just focused on inpidual teaching work and moved knowledge and skill training into one’s classroom mechanically. But present teacher professional development focuses on the relationship between teachers and students, which can create new channels of teaching practice and a shares culture. It also encourages and lends support to teachers learning from each other. Glatthorn (1995) thinks, “Teacher professional development is a professional growth due to accumulative teaching experience and reviewing teaching practice.”
By summarizing various understanding of teacher professional development, we try to give a tentative definition: teacher professional development refers to the process of teachers’ continuous development by enhancing their professional level, involving professional learning, reflection teaching, cooperative study and doing research work and so on. In the process, if teachers have the consciousness of self-development, their inner structure will be updated, evolved and enriched continually. 反思性教学与英语教师专业发展(4):http://www.youerw.com/yingyu/lunwen_14320.html