School-Based Professional Development (SBPD) Model: School Principals' Opinions and Suggestions

Abstract

The School-Based Professional Development (SBPD) Model is a program developed by the Ministry of National Education (MoNE) in Turkey to address the individual and professional needs of principals and teachers by providing them with specific competencies. The Regulation on In-Service Training for Ministry of National Education Personnel, published by MoNE in 2022, introduced three new approaches: School-Based Professional Development, Professional Development Communities, and Teacher Mobility Program. School-based professional development activities have recently gained importance as a crucial component of the in-service training plan for teachers. Given that school principals are primarily responsible for planning and implementing these practices in schools, it is important to consider their opinions, suggestions, and needs in the process. This qualitative research involved in-depth interviews with 18 school principals using a semi-structured interview format, and data analysis was conducted using content analysis. The results indicated that school principals generally viewed the SBPD Model positively and expressed a need for expanding its implementation.