International Journal of Evaluation and Research in Education (IJERE) Vol. 13, No. 2, April 2024, pp. 714~722 ISSN: 2252-8822, DOI: 10.11591/ijere.v13i2.25666  714 Journal homepage: http://ijere.iaescore.com Challenges to professional teacher development through workplace culture management Khairiah 1 , Alfauzan Amin 1 , Muassomah 2 , Mira Mareta 3 , Sulistyorini 4 , Mirna Yusuf 5 1 Department of Islamic Religious Education, Faculty of Tarbiyah and Tadris, Universitas Islam Negeri Fatmawati Soekarno Bengkulu, Bengkulu, Indonesia 2 Department of Arabic Language and Literature, Faculty of Humanities, Universitas Islam Negeri Maulana Malik Ibrahim Malang, Malang, Indonesia 3 Department of Islamic Counseling Guidance, Faculty of Da’wah and Communication Studies, Universitas Islam Negeri Mataram, Mataram, Indonesia 4 Department of Teacher Training, Faculty of Tarbiyah & Teacher Training, Universitas Islam Negeri Sayyid Ali Rahmatullah Tulungagung, Tulungagung, Indonesia 5 Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Gadjah Mada University, Yogyakarta, Indonesia Article Info ABSTRACT Article history: Received Oct 9, 2022 Revised Nov 16, 2023 Accepted Nov 22, 2023 The implementation of professional teacher development in Indonesia has been lacking. Many teachers continue to underperform, as evidenced by their workplace behaviors that violate the ethics of their profession. Workplace culture has contributed significantly to, and been detrimentally affected by, this lack of professionalism. Using a qualitative approach, this study seeks to explore the forms, factors, and implications of these challenges for the management of workplace culture. Teachers are simultaneously the objects and key informants of this research, which was conducted through observation of secondary-level madrasas spread throughout Bengkulu Province, Indonesia, as well as interviews with 15 teachers. This study identifies three main challenges: i) teachers have difficulty accessing professional training; ii) teachers cannot readily continue their educations; and iii) teachers have trouble writing and publishing academic works. These challenges are caused by a multitude of factors, primarily the lack of the funding, facilities, and infrastructure for professional development, as well as teachers limited digital literacy, and result in a workplace culture where initiative goes unrewarded, discipline is lacking, and teachers are unmotivated. As such, this study recommends significant improvements to the structure, culture, and infrastructure of educational institutions, thereby allowing teachers to overcome the challenges that hinder their professional development. Keywords: Digital literacy Education quality Teacher competencies Teacher professionalism Workplace culture management This is an open access article under the CC BY-SA license. Corresponding Author: Khairiah Department of Islamic Religious Education, Faculty of Tarbiyah and Tadris, Universitas Islam Negeri Fatmawati Soekarno Bengkulu Selebar, Bengkulu City, Bengkulu, Indonesia Email: khairiah@iainbengkulu.ac.id 1. INTRODUCTION Professionalism is a cornerstone of competent teaching. However, the level of professionalism exhibited by Indonesia’s teachers remains inadequate for providing an adequate education. Per Law No. 14 of 2005, teachers in Indonesia are required to have completed an undergraduate education (minimum D4/S1), to follow a professional code of ethics, to meet high teaching standards, and to be capable of producing academic works [1]. An undergraduate education in Indonesian higher education, degrees are divided between diploma