Abstract
The purpose of this study was to find out the motivational factors affecting the teachers’ decision trade-off between legislative requirements and self-motivation in the context of continuing professional development (CPD) in pursuing graduate studies after continuing professional development bill had been passed and became a statutory law in the Philippines. The study used a qualitative research design and collected data from interviews to teachers who had been in the service for many years but had decided to enroll for master’s degree only after the implementation of the CPD Law. The findings revealed that CPD Law for all regulated professionals including teachers greatly motivated and challenged the teachers in pursuing post-graduate studies as professional qualification and a mandatory requirement to develop broader skills prior to professional license renewal. Although, CPD is not limited to post-graduate studies, but it is also through many hours of trainings, seminars and workshops, yet it was viewed as the best option to earn the required full units upon completion of the masters’ or doctorate course. Though, it caused pressure and burden on the part of the teachers but it had helped them to be professionally and globally competitive on their field.
