Development and Preliminary Validation of the Women College Teachers Professional Development Needs Questionnaire: A Tool for Assessing Continuous Professional Development Practices

Abstract

This study developed and preliminarily validated the Women College Teachers' Professional Development Needs Questionnaire (WCTPDNQ) and applied it to assess continuous professional development (CPD) practices among women college teachers in Punjab, Pakistan. A pragmatic sequential explanatory mixed-method design was used. Quantitative data were obtained from 300 valid responses from public sector women's colleges in Multan, Dera Ghazi Khan and Bahawalpur divisions after stratified random sampling and data screening. Qualitative data were collected through 30 semi-structured interviews to explain the quantitative patterns. The questionnaire was aligned with Guskey's professional development evaluation logic and comprised five factors: Professional Development Needs, Barriers and Challenges, Institutional Support, Participation in CPD Activities, and Impact on Teaching and Student Outcomes. Fourteen experts reviewed the instrument for content validity. Most domains produced acceptable to high content validity evidence; however, the Barriers and Challenges factor required further item refinement. The overall reliability of the 30-item instrument was excellent (Cronbach's alpha = .935). Descriptive findings showed strong professional development needs (M = 4.02), positive institutional support (M = 3.96), moderate CPD participation (M = 3.71), positive perceived teaching impact (M = 3.89), and noticeable barriers (M = 2.83). Professional Development Needs significantly predicted CPD Participation (beta = .502, R² = .252, p < .001), while Institutional Support strongly predicted Teaching Impact (beta = .737, R² = .544, p < .001). The study concludes that women college teachers recognize strong CPD needs, but institutional structures, flexible access, and gender-sensitive support are required to translate this awareness into sustained professional participation. Further exploration and confirmatory factor analyses are recommended before claiming full construct validation of the WCTPDNQ.