本研究採半結構訪談方式，訪問臺灣地區北、中、南、東四區共十五位優秀中小學教師，以了解其專業發展歷程。訪談結果發現受訪的中小學優秀教師經歷六個階段：在職前增育階段，影響教師選擇教職的重要原因是家人及家庭經濟影響等；在導入階段，受訪老師多半靠自行摸索、同儕諮詢或請教資深教師，累積教學經驗。初任之後，他們便積極參與研習進修，深耕自己的專業知能。長期的教學努力，讓學生受益匪淺，並成為同儕的典範，獲頒特殊優良教師、POWER教師或SUPER教師等獎項。由於持績參與多元專業成長活動，使得受訪教師生涯挫折調適、穩定停滯階段並不明顯，而這也是優秀教師較為獨特之處。而生涯的低落期也是退休前二、三年才開始，至於未來生涯規劃方面，受訪教師退休後多半有高度持續奉獻、擔任志工的意願，不管是協助學校、學生或是傳承教學經驗。

The purpose of this research was to find out the process for excellent primary and secondary school teachers in their professional development. The data were gathered by semi-structured interviews with fifteen excellent teachers in Taiwan. The research results were as follow.
(a)In the preservice stage, the factors that influenced the decision of becoming a teacher were family economic condition and parents’ values and expectations. The university courses provided their basics knowledge of teaching.
(b)In the induction stage, they not only learned by themselves, but also learned form their senior colleagues. In the competency building stage, they engaged in workshops, in service activities, and university courses to build up their professional skills and knowledge. Due to the continuous learning, their stages of career frustration and career stability were not obvious.
(c)In the career wind-down stage, they may prepare to leave the profession. But in the career exist stage, most excellent teachers are very willing to serve as volunteers in the field of education.