Evans, Hyacinth, ed. 1997. Proceedings of the Conference on Professional Development. Kingston, Jamaica: Institute of Education, UWI.

This book is an edited report of papers presented at a conference on professional development held in Kingston in July 1997. The papers report some of the findings of the Faculty Development Project which was initiated with Shortwood Teachers College in September 1996. The aim of the project was to explore ways of improving college teaching and alternative ways of working with the colleges. It was also aimed at learning about and understanding the nature of the college environment that fosters quality teaching.

At the end of the first year, members of the project decided that it was time to take stock of what had been learned and to begin to plan for a method of dissemination to other colleges. A one-day conference was held in Kingston on July 1, 1997 to examine what each sub-project had learned and achieved, and to report to other members of the Shortwood and the Institute of Education community. At this one-day conference, seven papers were presented by members of the Institute and Shortwood Teachers College. Some of the papers described the experiences and results of the new methods and activities which had been tried. Others reflected on the process in which we were engaged. At the end of the day, participants agreed that the results of the experiments provided evidence that participative methods of teaching are effective. They enhance student learning of academic knowledge as well as the development of positive attitudes and self-confidence. The proceedings of this conference are being published as a means of disseminating the encouraging results of the first year of the project. Five of the papers presented at this conference are included in the volume.