Investigating Factors Affecting Professional Development of High School Teachers in Ardabil: A Qualitative Research with an Emphasis on Focus Qroup Approach

The purpose of this applied research was to identify the factors impacting professional development of second-grade high school teachers at Districts I and II of Ardabil Education Administration. From the community of professors, experts and key knowledgeable persons, using the theoretical adequacy of data, 51 persons were selected as the sample. This research was a qualitative research collecting data through the focus group interviewing method. The data was analyzed using content analysis technique (open source, axial, and selective coding). The results indicated that factors impacting the development of teachers include individual factors, including personality traits, incentive of progress, background and attitude, and scientific vigor; organizational factors including organizational culture, managers’ roles, performance management system, and educational courses; and economic factors including reward and progress systems, sustenance and material conditions and facilities.