The need for a common language
School leaders often struggle to ensure that professional learning and development (PLD) makes a difference to teachers and students. The Department for Education’s (DfE) consultation, A world-class teaching profession, states ‘There is currently too little robust evidence on the impact of different types of professional development for teachers’ (2015:10). To ensure that PLD improves teachers’ practice and has an impact on students’ learning, we need to establish a shared understanding of what effective professional learning and development looks like, how to achieve it and how to evidence its impact. The language is used and understood in different ways by practitioners and throughout the literature. The OECD Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) refers to CPD (continuing professional development) which suggests that this term is in use internationally. Some schools in England refer to In-service Training or Inset; universities often refer to Teacher Education. Helen Timperley from New Zealand promotes a focus on professional learning because ‘much professional development has little meaning for teachers’ (2011:2). Cordingley et al., (2015) offer CPDL – continuing professional development and learning. This variation reflects some of the tensions in thinking that exist in this field. If we do not yet have a sharply defined and agreed language, it is no surprise that we are still working towards an understanding of what quality looks like, how best to lead this and how to evaluate the impact of PLD.
What is professional learning and development?
It is worth exploring what we mean by the related terms professional learning and professional development. In working with leaders of professional development in schools, both nationally and internationally, we have found that re-conceptualising these words can lead to better design, strategic leadership and, fundamentally, more effective learning and impact for teachers, leaders and learners. We argue that the design and implementation of learning and development may have greater impact, and so improve learning and outcomes, by being seen as two distinct and yet interconnected processes.
Opportunities and process
Professional learning (PL) encompasses all the opportunities offered for teachers and leaders to learn something new, update skills, be informed of new developments, explore new techniques or resources, and refresh subject-specific knowledge. Such opportunities can be offered in a wide range of ways; courses, seminars, reading articles, visits to other organizations, lesson study, enquiry and action research, masters qualifications, peer observation. Such opportunities can be facilitated in-house by colleagues in the same or another school, a university, commercial organization or an independent consultant.
Professional development (PD) then becomes the process that builds on what has been learned to effect a change ‘in the thinking and practice of our colleagues so that such change improves the experience and learning for pupils’ (Earley and Porritt, 2009:139). This improved practice needs to become embedded in a teacher’s everyday interactions with learners before we can say there has been professional development. Whilst agreeing with the importance of professional learning as the process for ‘solving entrenched educational problems’ (Timperley, 2011:5), we argue there has to be another stage after learning something valuable. It takes time to test out new understanding, skills, techniques and strategies and takes longer for improved practice to become habitual and embedded. We see professional development not as the opportunity or learning activity being offered but as the embedded practice leaders look for as a result of professional learning. As O’Brien notes ‘there is clearly a need to follow-up and follow-through CPD interventions so that clear links are established between CPD provision for teachers leading to enhanced teacher quality and the attainment and achievement of students’ (2011:106). This is where innovation is needed in PLD and its leadership. Whilst learning and development are clearly integral to each other, by reconceptualising the two stages schools are more able to put in place the organizational processes and systems by which this learning is converted into developed practice and raised standards.
Evidence informed professional learning and development – key messages
Drawing on evidence from research will improve the quality of all professional learning opportunities and supports the potential for impact on teacher practice and students’ learning. Significant common messages in the literature offers school leaders clarity over the elements that can support the design and development of high quality professional development(e.g. Joyce and Showers, 1980; Hawley and Valli, 1999; Cordingley et al., 2003, 2005a, 2005b, 2007; Bubb and Earley, 2007; Timperly, 2007; Earley and Porritt, 2009, 2013; Stoll et al., 2010; Caena, 2011; Mayer and Lloyd, 2011; Nelson et al., 2015a; Cordingley et al., 2015; Jenson et al., 2016). These studies emphasise:
- active and collaborative professional learning sustained over time;
- follow up opportunities to apply learning in practice;
- a focus on student learning and outcomes;
- external support and expertise and
- the importance of evaluation.