Professional development is essential for early years teachers. Recognizing this fact, the Romanian education system aims to promote high quality professional development programs for teachers in order to improve their work. This study investigated kindergarten teachers’ perceptions of their in-service training programs; including the impact these programs had on their professional development processes and classroom practices. Eighty-four kindergarten teachers responded to an online, structured questionnaire focused on:
- activities considered necessary for teacher training programs;
- factors that influence the level of professional development;
- types of activities based on programs that may influence classroom practice;
- the level at which programs focused on specific aspects of educational practice; and
- aspects that might influence the teacher's educational practice.
Findings show a significant difference between the perceptions of beginners and those with more than 10 years experience. While the new teachers tend to focus more on the visibility and status to the profession, more experienced teachers focus on approach on professionalization.
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