Developing Innovation, Creativity, and Adaptability Competencies for Primary School Teachers through On-site Professional Development

Background/purpose. Vietnam’s educational reforms and the 2018 General Education Curriculum require primary school teachers to possess strong competencies in innovation, creativity, and adaptability. Existing training is often theoretical and detached from classroom practice. This study designs and tests a school-based professional development program based on a competency framework to enhance these skills, aiming to identify key components and evaluate its impact on teachers’ professional growth.

Materials/methods. Based on a competency framework developed through theoretical analysis and practical surveys, the authors designed a flexible professional development program delivered at primary schools in a blended format, with 748 teachers participating in a controlled experimental design.

Results. Data were collected before and after the professional development program and analyzed using descriptive statistics, Cronbach’s Alpha reliability testing, Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), and Pearson correlation analysis. The results indicated that the on-site professional development program had a positive impact, significantly enhancing the manifestation levels of innovation, creativity, and adaptability competencies.

Conclusion. The study demonstrates that a systematically designed school-based professional development program can significantly enhance primary school teachers’ competencies in innovation, creativity, and adaptability. By integrating blended learning, collaborative activities, and reflective practice, the program bridges theory and classroom realities, addressing gaps in existing training approaches. Findings provide empirical evidence to support the scaling and institutionalization of competency-based, school-embedded professional development in Vietnam’s primary education system.

Keywords: On-site professional development, primary school teachers, innovation competency, creativity competency, adaptability competency

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