Beginning teacher experiences in Lao PDR: From research to the development of a professional development program

This article describes how an ethnographic research study paved the way for the design of a Beginning Teacher Support (BTS) program. The aim of the research was to understand the world of beginning teachers in Lao PDR (Laos). Drawing on the work by Lave and Wenger (1991) of situated learning, the research documented the affordances and constraints of beginning teachers as well their social, political and cultural work contexts. As understanding developed, the Australian researcher and Lao educators agreed that the findings should be used to “identify strategic points of intervention” (Denzin, 2001, p. 2) and inform the design of a professional development program that could support beginning teachers. This collaborative work resulted in the design of a multi-dimensional support program, which aims to support teachers as they embark upon their careers.