Abstract:

The rapidly changing and developing world poses new challenges to teachers. The range of competences required from a teacher is nowadays a lot wider - they are not expected to pass on their knowledge only but be a supervisor, counsellor, social worker etc. In order to cope with all of the above, a teacher has to develop more diversely than just the expert of their subject matter. Teacher Professional Development (PD) is supported by Professional Standards (PS), the aims of which are still questioned by different authors (Sachs, 2015; Guerriero, 2007; Bolam & McMahon, 2004; Hargreaves, 2006). On the one hand a teacher can assess their PD and find out about the need for further training, on the other hand PS serve as mechanism for certifying and inspection. However, the competences of the qualifications framework are quite similar from country to country. With the help of PS the teacher is able to assess his competences based on self-analysis, and thus it can be seen as a process supporting teachers’ self-development. Applying teacher PS is not a new approach to identifying the level of professionalism or applying for respective qualification; however, it is not commonly practised among Estonian teachers. Unlike Estonia, teacher professional standards when defining their level of professionalism are widely applied in several countries. In order to support teachers in the process of applying for qualification, it is important to investigate challenges faced by teachers. The qualitative inductive research method was applied to explore how the three target groups - teachers, assessors and standards' creators – estimate the process of applying for Professional Qualification.

The research is seeking the answers to the following research questions: 
1. to analyse the necessity and importance of definitive Professional Standards in teacher Professional Development;
2. determine shortcomings in Professional Standards as well as in the process of applying for qualification;
3. define the expectations expressed by the three groups on Professional Standards and the process of applying for qualification.

The research shows that teachers lack respective skills for understanding the required Professional Standards which consequently, reveals shortcomings in adequately comprehending qualification requirements; hence, teachers need assistance by school management and institutions on national level. Also, regarding the process of applying for qualification, additional training proves to be necessary.

As a result of this research we can say that teachers admit the advantage of PS when developing their skills of self-analysis and boost of self-esteem the acquisition of qualification gives them.

Keywords:

Professional Standards, Professional Development, Qualification, Life-long learning.