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Effects of Facilitating Papuan Teachers’ Professional Development Programs on Australian Facilitators: Implications for Universities

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Abstract

The focus of this study is how Australian facilitators viewed their experience of delivering professional development programs for in-service teachers from the Province of Papua, Indonesia. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 program facilitators from the university and schools on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia. Thematic analysis identified that the initial knowledge of the Papuan context was not equally distributed between the program designers and other facilitators. Nevertheless, the programs were seen positively, contributing to facilitators’ increased teaching enthusiasm. It was reported that examples derived from the Papuan context were used in the facilitators’ classrooms, and a sense of reconfirmation that the facilitators’ teaching practices were in line with the Papuan teachers’ needs. For the university and school facilitators, the Papuan teachers’ professional development programs contributed to increased understanding of cultural differences and similarities and opened opportunities for wider engagement with the Asian region. While the findings are mainly applicable to the Sunshine Coast context, other universities planning to host similar programs may need to prepare facilitators with greater understanding of the teachers’ contexts, encourage critical reflection on the lessons learned from delivering the programs, and communicate the positive lessons to the wider university community.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Education and Language, Universitas Katolik Indonesia Atma Jaya, Jakarta, Indonesia

    Agustian Sutrisno

  2. USC International Development, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore, Australia

    R. W. Carter

Authors
  1. Agustian Sutrisno
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  2. R. W. Carter
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Agustian Sutrisno.

Appendix: Key Interview Questions

Appendix: Key Interview Questions

  • What were your views on the Papuan teachers before the workshops commenced?

  • How did you design the workshops?

  • How did you see your experience of teaching and interacting with the Papuan teachers during the workshops?

  • In your opinion, what kind of impact or influence did you make on the Papuan teachers’ skills and knowledge?

  • What kind of support did you receive to deliver/participate in the workshops?

  • Now, after taking part in the workshops, what are your views on the workshops and the Papuan teachers?

  • Where did your views on the experience of teaching and interacting with the Papuan teachers come from?

  • What lessons did you take from your experience of teaching and interacting with the Papuan teachers?

  • In what ways did those lessons learned influence your own teaching practices?

  • What was the perception of the university or school on the PD workshops for the Papuan teachers?

  • How did your experience of teaching and interacting with the Papuan teachers influence your university/school as an organisation?

  • What measures did the school or university take to ensure that the positive outcomes from the experience impact the overall operations of the school/university?

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Sutrisno, A., Carter, R.W. Effects of Facilitating Papuan Teachers’ Professional Development Programs on Australian Facilitators: Implications for Universities. Asia-Pacific Edu Res 25, 835–843 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40299-016-0303-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40299-016-0303-4

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