Teachers’ Perspectives on the Effectiveness of Learning Action Cells in Professional Development

This research study investigates the implementation and impact of Learning Action Cells (LACs) as a professional development strategy for school teachers. The LAC sessions are initiatives the Department of Education implemented to promote professional development among public school teachers through mentoring sessions. The study employed a phenomenological research design where 10 participants were interviewed to explore their experiences with the LAC implementation. The challenges, coping mechanisms, and insights gained by the participants were comprehensively discussed. The research findings revealed that teachers viewed LAC sessions as collaborative and necessary for professional development. The participants acknowledged its contribution to furthering their knowledge about their skills, for example, in pedagogical implementation and use of technology. However, it was surmised that the lack of material equipment and time resources hindered the program’s proper implementation. The hectic schedule of teachers, who handle multiple workloads, is an excellent source of stress and problems. As a result, teacher participants view LAC sessions as additional work or extensions to their already overwhelming tasks. In order to cope, the participants employed time management techniques, suggested flexible schedules, and increased collaboration among their peers.