The policies and practices of continuing professional development of english language teachers of Kerala.

Abstract

This study investigates the Policies and Practices of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) of secondary school English language teachers in Kerala, examining the alignment between policy intent, programme design, and classroom realities. CPD is widely recognised as a critical determinant of teacher quality and student learning outcomes, yet existing systems in India, including Kerala, are often criticised for being fragmented, top-down, and insufficiently responsive to teachers’ contextual needs. Adopting an Exploratory Sequential Mixed Methods Design, the study integrates qualitative and quantitative approaches. The qualitative phase involved a Critical Policy Analysis of national and state educational frameworks (NPE, NCF, NEP), analysis of CPD modules, and data from the semi-structured interviews and Focus Group Discussions with policymakers, teacher educators, and practitioners. The quantitative phase surveyed 1217 English teachers and 714 parents using validated instruments measuring academic engagement, reflective practices, attitudes, barriers, and CPD needs. Statistical analyses included mean, standard deviation, t-test, ANOVA, and correlation. The findings reveal a significant policy–practice gap in CPD implementation. While policy frameworks emphasise continuous,reflective,and teacher-centred professional learning, actual practices remain largely compliance-driven, episodic, and top-down. CPD modules prioritise content coverage over reflective and classroom-based application, with limited follow-up and mentoring support. Quantitative results indicate that academic engagement, reflective practices, and attitudes vary significantly across demographic variables, and strong positive correlations exist between reflective practices and both engagement and attitude. However, barriers such as workload, time constraints, and inadequate contextualrelevance remain high, and CPD needs are particularly strong in areas such as language proficiency, digital pedagogy, inclusive education, and 21st-century skills. The study also highlights systemic issues, including fragmented institutional coordination, inconsistent access to CPD opportunities, and insufficient monitoring of impact. Parental perspectives reveal concerns regarding CPD scheduling during instructional time, indicating the need for more balanced implementation strategies. The study concludes that Kerala’s CPD system, despite strong policy foundations, requires a shift towards a coherent, teacher-centred, and sustained professional learning CPD system. It recommends the development of a unified CPD framework integrating key agencies (SCERT, DIET, Samagra Shiksha etc.), strengthening mentoring systems, embedding reflective practices, and leveraging digital platforms for continuous professional learning. This research contributes to the limited Indian scholarship that integrates policy analysis, programme evaluation, and teacher perspectives, offering a comprehensive framework for reimagining CPD in English language teaching.