REFRAMING TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: A QUALITATIVE STUDY ON INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERSHIP AND CAPACITY BUILDING IN SCHOOLS

Author: Malaysia

Abstract

This qualitative study examines the reframing of teacher professional development (TPD) through the lens of instructional leadership and capacity building in Malaysian school contexts. Drawing on in-depth interviews, classroom observations, and document analysis involving 24 participants comprising school principals, senior teachers, and instructional coaches across six secondary schools in Pahang, Malaysia, the study explores how instructional leaders conceptualize and enact professional development to build teacher capacity. Findings reveal four overarching themes: (1) instructional leadership as a catalyst for professional growth, (2) collaborative learning cultures as the foundation of capacity building, (3) the tension between top-down mandates and bottom-up teacher agency, and (4) context-sensitive approaches to sustaining professional learning communities. The study contributes a conceptual reframing of TPD as an embedded, relational, and leadership-driven process rather than a series of episodic training events. Implications for school leaders, policymakers, and teacher educators in the Malaysian educational landscape are discussed.