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Exploring the Differences Between Educational Consultant’s and Teachers’ Perceptions on Teachers’ Needs of Professional Development

The study aims to investigate whether there is a discrepancy between educational consultants and teachers’ perceptions on teachers’ needs of professional development. The study also intends to answer the following research question: Is there a discrepancy between the perceptions of educational consultants and teachers of teachers’ needs in professional development? Moreover, two sub research questions were addressed: How do teachers perceive their needs for PD? How do educational consultants prepare for PD sessions/programs? The participants of the study are twenty pre/lower elementary school teachers and one educational consultant in Beirut. The methodology used to conduct the study was mixed-methods: a qualitative analysis was conducted for the consultant’s interview questions and a quantitative analysis for the teachers’ questionnaire. Results showed slight differences between the perceptions of teachers on PD and that of the consultant.