External support vital for teachers’ professional development in schools
Fri, 16 Jun 2006 01:00:00

Teachers need high quality external provision and support for their professional development, according to a research report published today (03 Jul 2006).

The report has evaluated 20 previous research studies into continuing professional development (CPD) and found evidence that external support is very important for effective professional development. This can take many forms, including working with other experts through school networks, developing new knowledge and skills through coaching and mentoring, attending award bearing courses and also through contributions from the Higher Education sector.

The report suggests local authorities should continue to make a significant contribution to CPD and school improvement, and it also highlights evidence that training and support for leading CPD policy and strategy in schools is needed, particularly in how to evaluate the impact and value for money of CPD.

The research, jointly commissioned by the General Teaching Council for England (GTC) and the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL), analysed twenty research and evaluation studies on various aspects of teachers’ professional development. The report brings together key messages for policy and practice from across a range of studies. It also identifies factors affecting the effectiveness of CPD and potential challenges for teachers’ professional learning and development in the future.

The research report identifies a number of other factors important for professional development, including developing professional learning communities within and between schools, the roles taken by heads and senior staff in promoting and supporting CPD, and the work of the school CPD co-ordinator. It has also found evidence that CPD needs to be designed to be relevant to teachers at different stages of their professional lives and careers.

The report identifies evidence of the beneficial impact of well structured professional development, which is sustained over time and involves collaboration between teachers. Impacts include directly improving teachers’ practice, motivation and morale, as well as pupil achievement.

According to the collected evidence, the more influence teachers have over identifying their own needs for professional learning and development, the more likely they are to find it effective, and it is the broader kinds of professional development - clearly focused on teaching and learning - that have a greater impact on teachers’ practice and pupil learning. However, there is also evidence to suggest that the majority of teachers still equate CPD with a fairly traditional notion of in-service training. 

GTC Director of Policy Sarah Stephens says, “The findings from this synthesis of all the recent research and evaluation on CPD are vital.  They provide the profession and policy makers nationally with the route map for professional development policy and strategy. This is a thorough and comprehensive review and analysis on which GTC and its partners can rely as we advance the case for an entitlement to and participation in effective professional learning and development for all teachers.”

"There is no doubt that well designed teacher learning supports school improvement and impacts positively on pupil learning, motivation and achievement.  The GTC will use these findings to continue to promote the power of CPD, advocate for national policy action and extend the Teacher Learning Academy. "

Martin Johnson, ATL’s Head of Education Policy, says: “This research backs up the work we are doing in the Social Partnership to ensure effective continuing professional development (CPD) becomes an everyday part of teachers’ working lives.  ATL will use this evidence to urge schools to make the changes they need to make for effective CPD to become a reality.”