Vol.

LXV
No. 1/2013

17 - 25

Conceptions and opinions regarding the self-management of

the curriculum of professional development for the didactic
career
Claudiu Marian Bun ia u
University of Craiova, 13, A.I. Cuza, Craiova 200585, Romania
Abstract
The fundamental premise of elaborating empiric research paperwork consists in believing that teachers
active, rational and pragmatic involvement in their own processes of professional development generates
visible progresses of professional performance, due to the cumulative development of desirable
competences for the didactic career. Developing competences in order to elaborate and manage projects
and programs of professional development represents a complex process, which starts by crystallizing
curricular and managerial opinions and conceptions in this field. Our article is based on a brief
presentation of the theoretic and methodological framework belonging to the self-management of the
curriculum of continual training, of the methodology that has been used (questionnaire and focusgroups) and of the empirical researchs results, which testify subjects perceptions and opinions (didactic
staff, school managers, experts in teachers training) in the field and their adhesion to the invoked
methodologies and tools.
Keywords: curriculum of continual training for the didactic career; self-management of the curriculum
of professional development;project of professional development; meta-cognitive strategies.

1. Introduction
At the moment, continual education and training represent strategic fields of E.U.
organisms, disclosed by outlining educational policies and strategies to this effect and
assigning consistent resources, in order to support projects and programs in the field of
professional development. This fact is also fully justified as far as teachers continual
training is regarded, marked by the dynamic of theoretic and practical evolutions as
part of educational field, by harmonizing educational systems and processes all over
European Union, by social expectations concerning graduates profile and the
diversification of educational needs belonging to educational acts beneficiaries.
Moreover, if we refer ourselves to E.U.s strategic purpose, formulated as part of the
Lisbon Declaration (the 23 -24 of March, 2000), according to which E.U. is about to
become the most competitive and dynamic based-on-knowledge economy in the
world, it emerges the necessity and actuality of consolidating/developing good
methodological frameworks and educational practices as far as the process of trainers
professional development is regarded.
The didactic staffs process of continual training is accomplished in Romania
through two complementary routes: career evolution, by acquiring the didactic grades
and by accumulating transferable professional credits (at least 90 credits for every 5
years), through diverse forms and modalities of improvement, as part of formal, nonformal and informal contexts. The general competences pursued as part of the process
of continual training are: methodological competences, competences of communication
and bonding, competences of evaluating students, psychosocial competences, technical
and technological competences, competences of career management

* Corresponding author.
E-mail address: claudiu_bunaiasu@yahoo.com

Claudiu Bun ia u /Journal of Educational Sciences and Psychology

(Annex 1 for Ministers Order 5660/22.12.2004, concerning the Standards of

continual training as far as the teacher profession is regarded (with respect to
gymnasium and high school).
The didactic careers management competences represent an operational and
transferable ensemble of procedural knowledge and meta-knowledge, abilities, values
and professional attitudes necessary to professional development, by successfully
elaborating and accomplishing projects and programs in order to
ameliorate/improve/broaden the professional training. These categories of competences
belonging to the teacher are particularly complex, being based on professional
competences achieved through accredited programs, managerial competences asserted
through activities of self-management of the personal and professional development
and a set of values that determine teachers responsible commitment as part of the
process of continual training, as far as formal, non-formal and informal contexts are
regarded.
The key concept of the development process concerning didactic careers
management competences consists in self-management of the curriculum of continual
training, whose cognitive substance outlines our studys terminology code and
generates methodological points of reference in the field. The self-management of the
curriculum of continual training represents a system of teachers activities, rational and
responsible involvement as part of their own process of professional development,
consisting in:
the diagnose analysis of professional competences development level, with
respect to professional standards, personal expectations, of educational acts
beneficiaries, reforms exigencies or managerial factors;
the elaboration of a project of professional development, based on (structural
framework model proposed for analysis to subjects): a) theoretical and
methodological premises; b) vision concerning self-professional development; c)
mission of the project of professional development; d) defining strategic
purposes of the professional (self)training; e) proposing some types of training
programs and activities, in order to achieve/improve desirable professional and
transversal competences; f) selecting strategies in order to efficiently implement
the project of professional development (managerial strategies, meta-cognitive
strategies, situations of professional learning; g) setting modalities in order to
evaluate/meta-evaluate the formal, non-formal and informal curriculum of
professional development;
the coordination of self-implementing and self-monitoring the formal, nonformal and informal curriculum of professional training;
the self-evaluation of professional performances and competences, with respect
to the impact of programs of continual training (programs of training, other
modalities of improvement as part of non-formal and informal contexts);
making strategic and tactical curricular decisions, in order to revise/develop the
curriculum of continual training.
Therefore, self-management of the curriculum of continual training implies
(self)observable and (self)measurable processes and products, which disclose cognitive
abilities of internal organization, being based on executive internal processes of control
or self-management behavior (Skinner, 1965), on which meta-cognition is being
outlined. Primary, meta-cognition indicates acknowledgement of self-knowledge and
the control procedures used in order to develop self-cognitive operation (Brown,
1987). Raynal (1997) defines meta-cognition as an analysis of self-intellectual
operation; analysis (or self-analysis) of the systems that process the information each
individual puts at work in order to learn, remember, solve problems or carry out an
activity.
The professional developments self-management is based on meta-cognitive
strategies, developed and practiced since initial training, by putting students-to-beteachers in situations of asserting self-regulation capacities of the process of
professional training. Self-regulation implies three basic cognitive mechanisms: a) selfobservation; b) self-judgment; c) self-reaction; d) self-attitude (Schunk, 1996).

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Based on these theoretical coordinates and for reasons of necessity in order to

involve didactic staff as part of the construction and management of their own track of
professional development, we have considered it appropriate to plan and implement a
complex investigative approach in the field of continual training, consisting in two
research activities: 1) an impact study regarding self-management of the curriculum of
continual training; 2) experimental test and validation of strategies and programs in
order to develop management competences of the didactic career.
As far as the legitimacy of deploying the first activity of empiric research is
concerned, we assess the possibility of setting methodological innovations and
categories of thematic programs, in order to facilitate the development of teachers
managerial competences in the field of planning, managing and regulating ones own
process of continual training. The impact study also has a formative value, with respect
to asserting as part of focus-groups, the professional cultures values and some
attitudes in favor of teachers involvement management while developing competences
desirable to curricular, social and cultural changes.
2. Methodology
2.1. Objective
The purposes of empiric researchs activity are:
testing subjects opinions and perceptions concerning strategies and programs
adequate in order to develop professional and transversal competences, informal,
non-formal and informal contexts.
studying methodological opinions and conceptions regarding the competences
development with respect to the self-management of the curriculum of continual
training as part of the didactic career.
The general hypothesis of the impact study, developed based on theoretical and
methodological premises of the didactic careers management and on previous
analyses of the researchs results in the field, is: If the project of professional
development and the related categories of programs have elements which provide their
operational character, flexibility and value-added, then they are able to achieve
subjects adhesion and to represent methodological frameworks of reference as part of
the self-management of the curriculum of professional development with respect to the
didactic career.
The particular hypotheses are:
1) If the project of professional development is rigorous and balanced structured, due
to philosophical components of self-training and context analyses of thematic
programs of development and operational measures, then it may operate as a
methodological tool that is alternative and complementary to national managerial
strategies of teachers training.
2) If learning situations as part of the process of continual training, foreshadowed in
non-formal and informal contexts, have elements in order to complete and improve
formative effects of training situations as part of the formal framework, then they are
able to develop good educational practices as part of the management of ones own
training.
3) If the invoked meta-cognitive strategies have a consistent theoretical and
methodological support and capitalize subjects methodological experiences, then they
may represent efficient methodological resources as part of the didactic careers
management.
2.2. Participants
The sample of subjects was constituted by combining probabilistic selection with the
rational one, as part of the sub-categories involved in teachers continual training: preUniversity didactic staff; students attending the program of psycho-pedagogic training;
experts in teachers training; trainers as part of the programs of teachers professional

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Claudiu Bun ia u /Journal of Educational Sciences and Psychology

development; school managers; decisional factors representing pre-University

educational system.
The variables of sampling have been selected in order to ensure the
representativeness of the sample of subjects with respect to the sub-categories involved
in didactic staffs continual training. Thus, in order to ensure balanced subdivisions, we
have appealed to more variables of sampling: the level achieved as part of the didactic
careers process of professionalization/evolution of didactic career; expertise in
didactic staffs continual training; expertise in management of the teachers training
programs. Through these modalities, we have selected a sampling of 240 subjects,
living in Oltenias South-West region and having the following composition: 100
persons belonging to didactic staff as part of pre-University education, 40 national and
regional trainers, 30 experts in teachers training (teachers teaching Educational
Sciences and Educational Management), 30 subjects having managerial roles as part of
pre-University education (school managers and inspectors), 40 students attending the
program of psycho-pedagogic training.
In order to ensure balance with respect to sex and age indicators, we have
accomplished the following percentage distribution as part of the samples
composition: 60% female subjects and 40% male subjects; 18-25 years (20%), 25-35
years (25%), 35-45 years (30%), over 45 years (25%).
2.3. Instrument
The main investigation method used as part of the empiric research is the
questionnaire, elaborated based on variables that operate the particular hypothesis.
These variables, which represent thematic fields of the test tool of subjects opinions
and conceptions, are: a) crystallization of the methodological conception regarding
self-management of the curriculum of continual training (items 1-4); b) multidimensional approach of the project of professional development (items 5-9); c)
operational character of the proposed categories of programs (items 10-15); d)
relevancy of the learning situations in formal, non-formal and informal contexts (items
16-19); e) relevancy of the meta-cognitive strategies used in self-management of the
curriculum of continual training (items 20-23).
Researchs independent variables are represented by: a) structural and procedural
elements of the invoked framework model of project of professional development; b)
proposed categories of programs of continual training; c) professional learning
situations and meta-cognitive strategies in order to manage one own training process,
invoked to be analyzed and valorized. They determine empiric researchs dependent
variables, which we have defined as part of the impact studys planning stage
subjects methodological conceptions regarding self-management of the curriculum of
continual training, developed based on professional learning experience, scientifically
defined and materialized by implementing personal projects of professional
development. As intermediary variables, we have foreseen two categories: a)
conditions of the institutional and curricular context, which facilitate or care block
accomplishment of the projects of professional development; b) skepticism of some
persons belonging to didactic staff with respect to utility of self-management of the
curriculum of continual training as part of the professional competences development,
given that didactic staffs evaluation grid is based on transferred professional credits
mostly acquired through forms and modalities of formal, planned and centralized
managed contexts.
The questionnaire has been applied directly, face-to-face, through actions organized
to this purpose and online, with the help of the Google Forms application. In order to
detail subjects answers, we have carried on two focus-groups meetings with
representatives of each category of subjects, where there have been approached the
same thematic fields.

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Claudiu Bun ia u /Journal of Educational Sciences and Psychology

2.4. Procedure
The questionnaire has been validated as a research tool through two procedures: a)
its pre-test on another sample, having characteristics similar to the sample of subjects
as part of the impact study; b) analysis of internal consistency, by calculating the
Cronbach alpha quotient.
After pre-testing it on a sample of 120 subjects with the same percentage distribution
of professional categories, sex and age indicators and after calculating the Cronbach
alpha quotient (value of 0,68), the questionnaire has been validated, with the minimum
threshold of acceptability. There have been introduced four parity-assigned items in the
questionnaires first four thematic fields. The Cronbach alpha quotient has been
calculated for a second time for the questionnaires developed form and applied to the
sample of 240 subjects, resulting the value of 0,84, which statistically confirms the
internal consistency of the empiric researchs tool.
2.5. Data analysis
The analysis of data has been accomplished through two complementary modalities,
specific to investigations that combine quantitative methodology with the qualitative
one: a) registering the percentage data regarding subjects answers, distributed on
variables that operate researchs particular hypotheses; b) our interpretations
concerning the registered percentage data, which refer to the relation between
researchs variables and the factors that have determined subjects perceptions and
opinions.
3. Results
The quantitative analysis of subjects favorable answers (by accumulating those
distributed on to a large extent and to a very large extent assessment scales or 4, 5
values, registered on the variables of the criterions we refer to), reveal the following
percentage data:
The criterions regarding the variable crystallization of the methodological
conception regarding self-management of the curriculum of continual training are: 1)
approaching the issue as part of the specialty literature; 2) centering the programs of
continual training on learning situations through students personal involvement as part
of the planning and management of process of professional development; 3) asserting
didactic staffs competences of self-management of the curriculum of continual
training.
Table 1. Percentage date with respect to the crystallization of the methodological conception regarding
self-management of the curriculum of continual training
Groups
Didactic staff
Trainers
Experts
Managers
Students

Criterion no.1
45%
65%
73,33%
66,66%
47,50%

Criterion no.2
58 %
75%
46,66%
53,33%
47,5%

Criterion no.3
37 %
42,5%
30%
36,66%
42,50%

The criterions of the variable multi-dimensional approach of the project of

professional development are: 1) the scientific substantiation of the structural model of
project of the didactic careers professional development; 2) the comprehensive
approach by balancing the strategic dimension with the operational one of the project
of professional development; 3) the feasibility of the framework model of project of
professional development; 4) projects alternative character with respect to the

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Claudiu Bun ia u /Journal of Educational Sciences and Psychology

22

methodological tools and managerial strategies used as part of the didactic staffs
continual training.
Table 2. Percentage data regarding the multi-dimensional approach of the project of professional
development
Groups
Criterion no. 1
Criterio no.2
Criterio no.3 Criterio no. 4
Didactic staff
Trainers
Experts
Managers
Students

64 %
82,50 %
76,66%
80%
83,33 %

69 %
72,50 %
80 %
63,33%
82,50 %

52 %
55 %
70 %
73,33 %
72,50%

68%
62,50%
83,33%
73,33%
76,66%

With respect to the variable operational character of the proposed categories of

programs, the criterions used are: 1) adequacy of the proposed programs to the
psychosocial and professional characteristics of beneficiaries: programs centered on
using learning backgrounds with the help of the new technologies of information and
communication, Web 2.0., virtual background of learning, M-learning (Mali a, 2007,
Reece i Walker, 2004) ; 2) programs relevancy for the programs with respect to
didactic staffs training needs: programs of professional development, including more
thematic modules centered on the curriculums reform and didactic careers
management; c) attractiveness: programs mostly centered on applications aiming the
construction of curricular structures in order to develop professional competences and
to manage the implementation of the non-formal and informal curriculum of
professional development.
Table 3. Percentage data regarding the operational character of the proposed categories of programs
Groups
Criterion no.1
Criterion no.2
Criterion no.3
Didactic staff
Trainers
Experts
Managers
Students

65 %
75 %
73,33%
66,66%
72,50 %

64 %
67,50 %
66,66 %
76,66 %
76,66%

69%
62,50%
66,66%
73,33%
62,50%

With respect to the variable relevancy of the learning situations in formal, nonformal and informal contexts, we have used the following criterions: 1) the scientific
consistency of learning situations; 2) the opportunity of learning situations in order to
develop competences of self-management of the curriculum of continual training.
Table 4. Percentage data regarding relevancy of the learning situations
Groups
Didactic staff
Trainers
Experts
Managers
Students

Criterion no.1
56 %
67,50 %
76,66 %
60%
65%

Criterion no.2
71%
65%
73,33%
63,33%
72,50%

The meta-cognitive strategies used as part of the didactic staffs professional

development, proposed to be analyzed and valorized as part of the impact study, are:
strategies centered on active learning as part of the process of continual (Schott, 2001);
strategies used in virtual contexts of professional learning (Reece, Walker, 2004);
strategies of constructivist (self)training (Joi a, 2006, Wilson and Lowry, 2000);
managerial methods and tools in order to manage projects/programs of professional
development: critical path method, evaluation method with respect to programs and the
technique of their revisal (PERT), Pareto diagram, method of the programs

Claudiu Bun ia u /Journal of Educational Sciences and Psychology

benchmarking (Verzuh, 2003); efficiency techniques and procedures of the metacognitive components: meta-comprehension, meta-solving of problems of professional
(self)training, meta-regulation of the behavior of professional learning (Nol, 1997,
Neac u, 2006).
The criterions of the variable meta-cognitive strategies of self-management of the
curriculum of continual training are: 1) scientific substantiation of the proposed metacognitive strategies; 2) value-added of the meta-cognitive strategies as part of the
development of didactic careers management competences.
Table 5. Percentage data regarding the operational character of the proposed categories of programs
Groups
Criterion no.1
Criterion no.2
Didactic staff
Trainers
Experts
Managers
Students

66 %
80%
83,33 %
76,66 %
77,50 %

51 %
55%
77,50 %
56,66 %
80 %

4. Discussions
Analysis of the quantitative data reveals the following significances and
interpretations:
There are significant differences concerning the level of assessments with respect
to the consistency of the literature concerning the issue of the didactic careers
management, between didactic staff and students on one hand and the other
categories of subjects on the other hand. These differences can be explained by
referring to the level of culture in the field, where experts, trainers and managers
posses a richer volume of factual and procedural knowledge.
The majority of the opinions belonging to experts and students regarding the
training programs relevancy in order to develop didactic careers management
competences reveal these categories methodological conception, according to
which it is necessary and appropriate to prevail professional learning situations
based on developing specific competences of coordination/monitoring/selfregulation of the process of professional development. This conception represents
fruit of knowledge, representations and capacities of experts and students,
beneficiaries of the new European orientations and trends in the field of teachers
training. Given this finding, we consider that is necessary to come up with a
national strategy of waterfall training of the factors involved as part of the
continual training (trainers, school managers, didactic staff), materialized through
more categories of programs and activities: a) programs of advanced training of
school trainers and managers in the field of the European dimension of
professionalization regarding the didactic career; b) special programs of developing
didactic staffs meta-cognitive competences, desirable for self-management of the
curriculum of continual training; c) deploying campaigns in order to disseminate
and promote European orientations and good educational practices of the process
of teachers training in formal, non-formal and informal contexts.
There are no significant differences between categories of subjects, with respect to
the intensity of favorable assessments for the operational character of the proposed
categories of programs, which testifies that centering these programs on fact
themes, on curricular structures centered on students, on the new information and
communication technologies determines their attractiveness and, by default,
students active attending;
The enunciated meta-cognitive strategies have been valorized by subjects, through
arguments aiming their support by a consistent scientific basis. These strategies
value-added, by foreseeing the formative effects as part of the development of
competences regarding the self-management of the curriculum of continual
training, has generated some significant differences of the assessments intensity.
Thus, didactic staff, trainers and school managers assess to a smaller extent the

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Claudiu Bun ia u /Journal of Educational Sciences and Psychology

predictability of the meta-cognitive strategies as more consistent methodological

resources than the usual ones; which is right if we refer to: a) the elements of
psycho-pedagogic culture in the field, where experts and students have deepened
the strategic orientations of the reform regarding teachers training; b) the short
methodological experience as part of the operation with meta-cognitive strategies,
with respect to school managers and trainers, as well as with respect to students; c)
displaying a resistance to change, if we refer to the novelty of training programs
centered on meta-cognitive strategies, which generates trainers training in the
field.
The high percentage of favorable answers, distributed on criterions of the variables
multi-dimensional approach of the project of professional development and
operational character of the training programs, as well as the registration of some
significant differences with respect to the variable methodological conception
regarding self-management of the curriculum of continual training partially validate
researchs first particular hypothesis. The high percentage of assessments to a very
large extent and to a large extent for the criterions of the variables learning
situations in formal and non-formal contexts and meta-cognitive strategies of selfmanagement of the curriculum of continual training validate the second particular
hypothesis of the empiric research.
To be concluded, the results acquired confirm researchs general hypothesis,
meaning that the structural model of project of professional development and the
invoked related categories of programs have achieved subjects adhesion, through
elements that ensure its operational character, flexibility and value-added and,
consequently, may constitute methodological frameworks of reference regarding selfmanagement of the curriculum of of continual training as part of the didactic career.
The strengths of the impact study consist in planning and deploying activities in
accordance with the scientific researchs rigors, the results predictability and outline
of bases in order to organize the second stage of the investigative approach
experimental test and validation of strategies and programs of developing competences
of self-management of the curriculum of continual training. Empiric researchs limit is
represented by testing methodological opinions and conceptions with respect to this
issue just on a sample located in Oltenias South-West region; this fact determines us
to develop and validate the questionnaire as part of a subsequent methodological
research, in order to be applicable on a nationally representative sample.
We foresee that the results achieved through the national impact study and the
validated training programs will constitute the object of a campaign in order to
disseminate and promote good educational practices as part of teachers continual
training, carried on within an European project and centered on a series of procedural
values: self-motivation, self-comprehension, elaboration and management of the track
of professional development, self-regulation of the training process.
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