Staff development: an alternative to inservice education.

Area of Science:

• Continuing Education
• Organizational Development
• Adult Learning Theory

Background:

• Continuing education in professional settings is often viewed through two distinct lenses.
• Inservice programs are frequently perceived as externally imposed requirements focused on addressing skill gaps.
• Staff development, conversely, emphasizes a participatory model of learning and professional growth.

Purpose of the Study:

• To differentiate between inservice programs and staff development approaches.
• To explore the impact of different continuing education models on organizational change.
• To highlight the benefits of collaborative learning in professional environments.

Main Methods:

• Comparative analysis of two continuing education models: inservice and staff development.
• Review of research on the philosophical and managerial underpinnings of each approach.
• Examination of the role of shared decision-making in the learning process.

Main Results:

• Inservice programs are often characterized by external mandates and deficiency correction.
• Staff development involves joint planning, implementation, and evaluation between participants and supervisors.
• Research suggests staff development's collaborative nature is more conducive to implementing change.

Conclusions:

• Staff development, through shared decision-making, fosters a more effective environment for organizational change compared to traditional inservice training.
• The philosophical and managerial perspectives inherent in staff development are key to successful change initiatives.
• Adopting a staff development model can enhance a professional organization's capacity for adaptation and growth.