Professional Development of Geography Teachers: What Does
Theory Say And What Are The Real Needs of Teachers?

k 2026

Professional Development of Geography Teachers: What Does Theory Say And What Are The Real Needs of Teachers?

KOSTOVÁ, Gabriela a Petr KNECHT

Základní údaje

Originální název

Professional Development of Geography Teachers: What Does Theory Say And What Are The Real Needs of Teachers?

Autoři

KOSTOVÁ, Gabriela a Petr KNECHT

Vydání

EUROGEO Conference 2026, Tilburg, Netherlands, 2026

Další údaje

Typ výsledku

Prezentace na konferencích

Odkazy

The Booklet of Abstracts and Full Conference Programme

Označené pro přenos do RIV

Klíčová slova anglicky

teacher professional development; geography teachers; quality criteria; in-service teacher training; geography education

Příznaky

Mezinárodní význam

Změněno: 28. 5. 2026 09:36, Mgr. Gabriela Kostová

Anotace

V originále

Teaching is a complex and demanding intellectual profession requiring lifelong learning (Cochran-Smith & Villegas, 2015). Teacher professional development is therefore considered crucial. This paper focuses on geography teachers' development. A review by Kostová and Knecht (2025) revealed an uneven thematic focus in geography TPD, with particular emphasis on GIS and environmental education, and significant differences in length, number of participants, and methods of evaluation. Despite the absence of a universally applicable model, the importance of adhering to research-based criteria is evident (Höhnle et al., 2016). The objective of this study is to identify geography teachers' professional development needs as articulated by the teachers themselves and to compare these needs with the findings from previous research. Eighteen geography teachers in the Czech Republic were interviewed to gather data for this study. The interviews focused on the participants' experiences with professional development, their motivation to participate, perceived barriers, and professional learning needs. The interview data were anonymized and analyzed using thematic analysis according to Braun and Clarke (2006) with the aid of MAXQDA software. Geography teachers perceive professional development as meaningful only if it is practically applicable, respects professional autonomy, and aligns with their professional identity. There are similarities and significant differences between the criteria for the quality of professional development described in the literature and teachers' reported perspectives. While research emphasizes long-term, systematic, and coherent approaches, teachers emphasize immediate applicability and a connection to daily teaching. Concurrently, they highlight structural barriers — namely the lack of time, administrative burdens, and professional overload — which significantly influence their engagement in professional development.

Citovat

KOSTOVÁ, Gabriela a Petr KNECHT. Professional Development of Geography Teachers: What Does Theory Say And What Are The Real Needs of Teachers? In EUROGEO Conference 2026, Tilburg, Netherlands. 2026.

@proceedings{2575337,
   author = {Kostová, Gabriela and Knecht, Petr},
   booktitle = {EUROGEO Conference 2026, Tilburg, Netherlands},
   keywords = {teacher professional development; geography teachers; quality criteria; in-service teacher training; geography education},
   title = {Professional Development of Geography Teachers: What Does Theory Say And What Are The Real Needs of Teachers?},
   url = {https://www.eurogeography.eu/conferences},
   year = {2026}
}

TY  - CONF
ID  - 2575337
AU  - Kostová, Gabriela - Knecht, Petr
PY  - 2026
TI  - Professional Development of Geography Teachers: What Does Theory Say And What Are The Real Needs of Teachers?
KW  - teacher professional development
KW  - geography teachers
KW  - quality criteria
KW  - in-service teacher training
KW  - geography education
UR  - https://www.eurogeography.eu/conferences
N2  - Teaching is a complex and demanding intellectual profession requiring lifelong learning (Cochran-Smith & Villegas, 2015). Teacher professional development is therefore considered crucial. This paper focuses on geography teachers' development. A review by Kostová and Knecht (2025) revealed an uneven thematic focus in geography TPD, with particular emphasis on GIS and environmental education, and significant differences in length, number of participants, and methods of evaluation. Despite the absence of a universally applicable model, the importance of adhering to research-based criteria is evident (Höhnle et al., 2016). The objective of this study is to identify geography teachers' professional development needs as articulated by the teachers themselves and to compare these needs with the findings from previous research. Eighteen geography teachers in the Czech Republic were interviewed to gather data for this study. The interviews focused on the participants' experiences with professional development, their motivation to participate, perceived barriers, and professional learning needs. The interview data were anonymized and analyzed using thematic analysis according to Braun and Clarke (2006) with the aid of MAXQDA software. Geography teachers perceive professional development as meaningful only if it is practically applicable, respects professional autonomy, and aligns with their professional identity. There are similarities and significant differences between the criteria for the quality of professional development described in the literature and teachers' reported perspectives. While research emphasizes long-term, systematic, and coherent approaches, teachers emphasize immediate applicability and a connection to daily teaching. Concurrently, they highlight structural barriers — namely the lack of time, administrative burdens, and professional overload — which significantly influence their engagement in professional development.
ER  -

KOSTOVÁ, Gabriela a Petr KNECHT. Professional Development of Geography Teachers: What Does Theory Say And What Are The Real Needs of Teachers? In \textit{EUROGEO Conference 2026, Tilburg, Netherlands}. 2026.

Přehled o publikaci