CPD

1. TAKING RESPONSIBILITY: PROFESSIONAL
DEVELOPMENT THROUGH ACTION AND
REFLECTION
Simon Etherton, British Council

2. Overview
In this presentation, we’ll investigate:
• What the aims of CPD for teachers are
• What ineffective CPD is
• What models of CPD there are
– Learning by observation
– Communities of practice
– Mentoring
– Reflective practice
– Teacher research
– Training courses
• How to design programmes that use these models effectively
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3. What are the aims of CPD?
CPD contributes to improvements in the quality of teaching and learning
Evidence suggests that teacher effectiveness is the single most important school variable
influencing student achievement – therefore investing in CPD for teachers is likely to provide
ministries of education with the best return on investment
A specific CPD programme will therefore focus on developing teachers’ skills and knowledge
to achieve specific improvements in performance in the classroom. The improvements aimed
for will be defined by the needs analysis prior to designing the programme. Examples of foci
are:
• Improving the teachers’ use of English as the language of the classroom
• Improving students’ results in a listening test
• Improving the quality of interaction in the classroom to foster deeper engagement in the
subject content
The impact of the CPD programme will be assessed by measuring improvements at the end
of the programme from baseline measures taken at the beginning
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4. Teacher development as change
4
INTENDED
CHANGE
STAGE OF DEVELOPMENT STARTING POINT
Change in
awareness,
knowledge,
motivation
Change in
practice,
habit,
skills and
belief
Awareness (A)
you have heard of the particular
professional practice
Beginning with little/no prior knowledge/skills,
attitudes, beliefs
Understanding (U)
you know what the professional
practice means and why it’s important
Beginning with prior knowledge/skills, attitudes,
beliefs
Engagement (E)
you demonstrate competency in this
professional practice at work
Beginning to embed new ideas/practice,
attitudes, beliefs in practice
Integration (I)
you demonstrate a high level of
competency in this professional
practice and it consistently informs
what you do at work
Beginning to set an example in ideas/practice,
attitudes, beliefs

5. Our CPD framework for teachers is our key
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• To be consistent about
what teachers’ knowledge
and skills are
• To engage in informed
dialogue with clients
• To show how resources
contribute to the
development of particular
knowledge and skills
• To profile teachers and
their development

6. What is ineffective CPD?
We want to avoid common aspects of CPD which are not effective:
• Training workshops without effective follow-up
• Too much training input
• No support to help teachers develop their actual practice in the classroom
• No measuring of impact
• CPD unrelated to specific needs of teachers and classroom realities
• Lack of a system for sustaining CPD and embedding it in school practice
• Lack of reward for teachers
We avoid these by creating CPD programmes that incorporate the effective models
outlined here
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7. CPD models
In class In-school Out of
school
Online Individual Group
Learning by
observation
Y Y Y
Communities
of practice
Y Y Y Y
Mentoring Y Y Y Y Y
Reflective
practice
Y Y Y Y Y Y
Teacher
research
Y Y Y Y
Training
courses
Y Y Y Y Y
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8. Learning by observation
Benefits How it is organised
Teachers learn from
observing actual teaching:
• Observing other
teachers
• Observing their own
teaching
• Being observed
This focuses on
developmental
observation which aims to
help teachers improve, not
evaluative observation
which judges their
performance against
standards
• Demonstrates what
actually happens in the
classroom reality
• Can show both what
works and what does
not work
• Teachers can learn by
modelling what other
teachers do or by
modifying what they
themselves do
See:
Observational learning
theory (Bandura)
Can be done physically or
by video
May be observation by a
peer or by a mentor
Teachers involved need
guidance on noticing skills
to do this effectively
See:
Iris Connect for
technology and expertise
to facilitate this
A Guide to CPD – Peer
observationsWhat it is
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9. Communities of practice
What it is Benefits How it is organised
Communities of
Practice (CoP) are groups
of people who share a
concern or a passion for
something they do and
learn how to do it better
as they interact regularly..
(Wenger)
Teachers’ communities of
practice are self-directed
groups which allow
teachers to discuss issues
and find common
solutions
• Evidence suggests that
teachers sharing ideas
and discussing teaching
have a very strong
impact on their
performance
• Learning that takes
place is not necessarily
intentional, but can be
transformative
• Draws on teachers’
own expertise
See:
Lave & Wenger
Can be done physically or
online
Can take the form of
Teacher Activity Groups
Teachers involved may
need guidance to manage
and participate in groups
effectively
CoPs are an important
aspect for all CPD models
See:
Teaching for Success
Facebook and MOOC
communities 9

10. Mentoring
What it is Benefits How it is organised
Mentors support and
encourage people to
manage their own
learning in order to
maximise their potential,
develop their skills, and
improve their
performance
• Gives teachers the
benefits of advice and
guidance from more
expert teachers in their
own context
• Provides ongoing
support for teachers
throughout the school
year
• Is flexible and
responsive to concerns
as they arise for the
teacher
Mentors themselves need
training and support
Mentors may be peers or
superiors
Can be done physically or
by video
Mentoring complements
other CPD models
See:
Teaching for Success
Mentoring Course
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11. Reflective practice
What it is Benefits How it is organised
Reflective teaching is a
process whereby
teachers think over
their teaching practices,
analysing how something
was taught and how
the practice might be
improved or changed for
better learning outcomes
• Evidence shows that
reflective abilities are
characteristics of very
effective teachers
• Reflective practice
helps teachers develop
their skills in thinking
about and discussing
their teaching
• Reflective practice
focuses on teachers’
actual interests and
concerns in context
Teachers involved need
guidance and a spport
network. Reflective
practice can be managed
formally with a portfolio of
journal entries, video etc. ,
or through dialogue with a
peer or mentor.
Reflective practice is
encouraged throughout all
the CPD models.
See:
Teaching for Success
module - Being a reflective
teacher 11

12. Teacher research
What it is Benefits How it is organised
Teachers identify areas of
classroom practice and
behaviour that they would
like to understand better,
with a view to improving
their performance.
They then undertake
small-scale research tasks
focused on the areas of
interest.
• Research evidence
suggests that teacher
research has a deep
impact on teacher
development
• Teacher research helps
identify solutions to
issues the teacher
really faces
• Teacher research can
enhance the teacher’s
professional status
See:
Teachers Research (IATEFL)
Where teachers have a
range of specific issues, a
teacher research
programme may be the
best solution. Teachers
involved need guidance
and mentoring to prepare
them for such activity.
Teacher research may
complement other CPD
models such as a training
course.
See:
Teacher research guide
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13. What is the difference between Reflective Practice and
Teacher Research?
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14. Training courses
What it is Benefits How it is organised
Teachers participate in
F2F or online training
which provides them with
opportunities to consider
new ideas and knowledge
about teaching, and
develop teaching skills
Good practice suggests
that training courses are
best spaced out over a
period, giving teachers
enough time and support
between modules to
integrate their learning
into practice
• Structures teachers’
learning with quality
materials and trainers
• Provides a safe
environment to discuss
and experiment
BUT
Evidence shows that
training has very limited
impact on classroom
teaching, without systems
being in place to support
change in the classroom
Cascade models need
careful performance
management
Courses are assembled
from Teaching for Success
F2F and online modules
according to the needs of
the teachers
All modules have tasks for
teachers to apply learning
to their teaching
Other CPD models are
combined with courses to
help teachers put their
learning into practice in
the classroom
See: Teaching for Success
Collections site 14

15. How to design a CPD plan that use these models
effectively - finding the appropriate model(s)
ANALYSE TEACHER
NEEDS, THEN
IDENTIFY DESIRED
CPD OUTCOMES AND
TARGETS
WHICH CPD
MODEL(S) WILL BEST
ACHIEVE THESE
OUTCOMES?
LEARNING BY
OBSERVATION
MENTORING
COMMUNITY
OF PRACTICE
REFLECTIVE
PRACTICE
TEACHER
RESEARCH
TRAINING
COURSE
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16. Action planning
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Reflect on the conference:
• Identify something(s) you have heard/learnt that you
would like to follow up further
• How will you follow them up?
– Think about understanding it more (theory)
– Think about applying it (practice)
– Think about evaluating it (analysis)
– Think about sharing with others (collaboration)

17. Thank you
We investigated:
• What the aims of CPD for teachers are
• What ineffective CPD is
• What models of CPD there are
– Learning by observation
– Communities of practice
– Coaching and mentoring
– Reflective practice
– Teacher research
– Training courses
• How to design CPD programmes that use these models effectively
Any questions or comments?
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