This page provides a very high level summary and overview drawn from three recent studies containing evidence about effective CPD which has a positive impact on student learning. These were then source materials discussed at the December invitation seminar held at CUREE and featuring presentations from:
- Philippa Cordingley – Chief Executive CUREE;
- Miranda Bell – Associate Director CUREE
- Helen Timperley – Professor of Education University of Auckland
Some of the key messages from Philippa Cordingley’s analysis were:
- Curriculum Development (CD) was an important vehicle for high quality CPD and depended on structured CPD
- CD made CPD feel like doing the day job better to teachers and like delivering the SDP to leaders
- Specialist expertise was needed in content, pedagogy, CPD and curriculum design to secure high quality planning and enactment
- This required teams and a strategic approach to assignment
- Evaluation of impact of CD related to the evaluation of the impact of CPD; pupil surveys and focus groups helped orientate this towards learner needs and impact
- CD becomes embedded at scale in tools and resources. Refining tools and resources was an important part of CPD;
- Experimenting with the curriculum depends on:
- explicit permission from leaders to take risks, and;
- leaders who model learning through curriculum development.
Professor Timperley drew on her work on the professional learning and development of practitioners. She highlighted 10 principles:
- Focus on valued student outcomes
Taking responsibility
- Make sure the content is worthwhile
- Integrate knowledge of assessment, curriculum and pedagogy at practical and theoretical levels
- Use assessment for professional inquiry
Develop self-regulatory learning skills
- Multiple opportunities to learn and apply information
- Make approaches responsive to learning processes
Engagement rather than volunteering
- Provide opportunities to process new learning with others
Engage existing theories of practice
- Access expert knowledge
- Leaders play a key role in promoting professional learning of their teachers for the benefit of their students
- Sustainability depends on:
teachers developing strong theoretical frameworks that allows them to make principled changes to practice
Self-regulatory assessment skills to inquire into effectiveness
Leadership that is actively involved in planning and support
You can find more information via the links below