Professional Development Needs of Faculty Members at the College of Education, University of Derna

Abstract

This study aimed to identify the professional development needs of faculty members at the College of Education, University of Derna, in the areas of teaching, scientific research, and community service. The study adopted
 a descriptive-analytical approach and used a questionnaire as the main data collection instrument. The questionnaire was administered through a comprehensive survey of the study population, which consisted of 19 faculty members; 18 valid questionnaires were retrieved, representing a response rate of 94.7%. The questionnaire consisted of 18 items distributed across three dimensions. The findings showed that the overall level of professional development needs among faculty members was high, with an overall mean of 4.0014 and a relative weight of 80%. Teaching-related needs ranked first, with a mean of 4.0556 and a relative weight of 81.1%. Community service and scientific research needs followed, with a mean of 3.9722 and a relative weight of 79.4% for each dimension. The results also indicated statistically significant differences between the participants’ responses and the neutral value across all three dimensions and the overall scale. The study concluded that professional development needs encompass the three main roles of faculty members. Therefore, integrated professional development programs should be developed based on actual needs, with emphasis on improving teaching skills, curriculum development, assessment, educational technologies, research skills, and community engagement.