Teacher professional development at a tsunami-affected school in Banda Aceh

The 2004 tsunami in Aceh resulted in significant post-disaster problems which extended far beyond the loss of possessions and infrastructure destruction. In addition to having to deal with their own problems as a consequence of the tsunami, teachers were faced with the additional problems arising from working with children who had been exposed to the traumatic event. Teacher professional development was regarded as an important support mechanism to help teachers in this period. Findings from a qualitative study conducted in one school affected by the tsunami in Banda Aceh provided evidence that teachers indeed needed professional development that went beyond enhancing their knowledge and skills to teach their subjects to working with young people affected by the traumatic event. This paper discusses teacher professional development, focusing on the five criteria for effective professional development proposed by Desimone.