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JOURNAL ARTICLE REVIEW
Part 1 Summary Paragraph
Professional Development is the new norm in today’s classrooms and schools. The reason has to
do with the ever-increasing number of changes that are present in the classrooms now. Teachers
are not only dealing with the everyday demands of teaching, but they are also dealing with the
changes that come with it as well. Schools are now made up of diverse students with diverse
cultures, backgrounds, and languages. So, it is not surprising that the demand for more trained
and educated teachers is much needed. To lessen the stress of teachers many schools are
implementing the use of professional development. It is an excellent way for teachers to sharpen
their skills and learn the necessary techniques to help their students. In the article Barohny Eun
promotes the use of professional development in the classroom. He even supports his research
with the theories of Bandura and Vygotsky. He uses the Social Cognitive Theory and Socio-
cognitive theory. Both theories are what professional development is built upon.
The two theories of human development that Eun mentions in his article are the social cognitive
theory and the socio-cognitive theory. The first theory, social cognitive is based on the theory
that people are only the product of their own environment. People learn from example or the
environment that they are in. (Eun, 2019, p.3)." Generally, within social cognitive theory, self-
efficacy is a strong predictor of future behavior than outcome expectations” (Eun, 2019, p. 4).
Teachers also want to make a change in the classrooms and make sure that their students get
their much-needed education that they need, which are examples of efficacy. Unlike the social
cognitive theory “the socio-cultural theory is premised on an interactional view of individuals
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and their environment” (Eun, 2019, p. 5). Children learn from adults about their values, beliefs,
and problem-solving skills. Teachers are examples of Vygotsky’s theory by challenging them
with projects and activities within the class. Children learn better when they are amongst their
peers. All these factors play a role in human development.
To support his research the author mentions seven models of professional development.
Training, observation assessment, and mentoring (Eun, 2019). These are only a few of them,
each model helps the teacher build their self-confidence and the will to learn more. Although
Bandura and Vygotsky’s themes are different. They both accomplish the goal of showing how
important professional development is within the schools.
Part 2 Analysis of Author’s key points
Bandura and Vygotsky theories are valid but in diverse ways. Bandura’s theory is based on a
student’s behavior. Children only learn from the adults and people that surround them. They are
really a product of their environment. Behavior is learned, it just does not happen overnight. That
is why it is so important for teachers to be an example to their students in the classroom.
Vygotsky’s theory is that children learn from adults or older peers. They gain more knowledge
through experiences and socialization. A lot of the students in the classroom only know what
they know about life through experiences or through their family and friends. Both theories and
key points in Eun article are critical in a teacher's professional development. When a teacher is
trained and more knowledgeable, then they will do well academically.
Part 3 Personal Application to Personal Professional Development
Personal Professional Development is needed in the classrooms. If a teacher is trained and
knowledgeable in the classroom the students will not fail. However, if they are not trained then
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that can cause a problem. A lot of children fall by the wayside because of the lack of seasoned
and professional teachers. If students do not get the necessary, help or attention that they need
many of them will eventually lose confidence. The need for Professional Development is needed
because that is what keeps teachers up to date with the new strategies and methods that are
changing from day to day in the classrooms and schools. When I first became a teacher, my
school would have Professional Development meetings once a month. I thought that they were
beneficial to me because they kept me up to date with programs to help students. More schools
need to offer these Professional Development programs to help educators stay in the loop with
the current trends and programs that are available.
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