Professional learning: What to think about
A lot has been written about the characteristics of effective professional learning and development for teachers. However, much of this research has not been strongly supported by evidence that these practices really do lead to improved student outcomes.
Two rich resources of information about the practices that really do lead to improved student outcomes are:
- School leadership and student outcomes: Idetifying what works best and why best evidence synthesis (Robinson et al., 2009)
- Teacher professional learning and development: Best evidence synthesis Iteration (BES) (Timperley et al., 2007).
When planning teachers’ professional learning, leaders and teachers need to ensure that the many decisions they make about providers, learning experiences, and so on align with the practices identified in these syntheses.
Reflective questions
- What support (resources, professional learning, ‘critical friends’) do I need to achieve my goals?
- How will that support be designed and organised?
- Who has the expertise? That is, who is the best person to support me in this learning?
- What do our school leaders need to know and be able to do in order to support teachers’ professional learning?