CONTNUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND NOVICE TEACHERS IN NUKUS, UZBEKISTAN: EVIDENCE FROM A MIXED-METHODS FIELD STUDY

This article presents an empirical analysis of the influence of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) on the teaching performance of novice English language teachers in Nukus, Uzbekistan, using data drawn from a recent mixed-methods field study. The study combined a structured survey of 50 novice teachers (1–3 years of experience) with semi-structured interviews of five purposively selected participants. Quantitative analysis shows high engagement in CPD activities (70% of respondents in the past year) and favourable self-reported impacts on pedagogical knowledge, classroom management, and teacher confidence. Workshops (56%), online courses (40%) and conferences (36%) were the most attended formats. Time constraints, limited access and financial costs emerged as the primary barriers to CPD engagement. Thematic analysis of interviews reveals that CPD participation catalysed pedagogical shifts (project-based learning, technology integration, student-centred methods), increased student engagement, and strengthened teachers’ professional agency, though institutional support remained uneven. The paper situates these findings within international literature on induction, mentoring and CPD, and provides policy and practice recommendations tailored to the Uzbek context.