A Review of Challenges for Professional Development of Malaysian Teachers

This paper reviews the strategies and challenges for professional development of Malaysian teachers. In relation to the government’s effort to improve teacher professional development, many English as a second language (ESL) teachers register themselves to the ‘Teacher’s First-Degree Programme’ organized by the Ministry of Education. The participants of the programme, somehow, face a number of challenges. The main challenge is the adult ESL teachers need to follow in doing the degree part time as all of them are full time teachers and teaching in different schools located at different districts across the state. The challenges reviewed in this paper may be relevant to administrative decisions concerning education policies and goals intended to prepare TESL professionals. Finally, it may also provide insights into EFL program administrators who are intending to foster greater levels of commitment and permanence of faculty members through a more holistic understanding of their teachers’ needs and barriers in involving in professional development.