ABSTRACT
In the past 20 years, newly emerging challenges for the teaching profession (e.g. output orientation, mandatory quality evaluation and development, changes in society) have resulted in an increased demand for corresponding (new) frameworks of professional competences (Posch et al. 2009). In Austria, some teacher professional development courses are trying to react to these changes: Starting in 1982, several and various professional development programs were set up and are still running today. This chapter sketches their traces by discussing their theoretical frameworks, main objectives, evaluation outcomes, research findings, and finally some reflections and conclusions. The chapter closes with a section concerning lessons learnt from this 30-year-long journey of teacher professional development.
