A Critical Analysis of the Impact and Culture of CPD that is Prevalent within Primary Schools

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A Critical Analysis of the Impact and Culture of CPD that is Prevalent within Primary Schools

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

This is the first report from a research project carried out for Becta into Continuing Professional Development (CPD) for Information and Communications Technology for teachers in Key Stages 1-4. It provides a descriptive and evaluative overview of literature related to the current range of CPD for school teachers in England, and refers to relevant literature in the wider United Kingdom and international contexts. A second report, Daly et al (2009), investigates CPD and effective models of provision. Although it is acknowledged that a wide range of staff have an impact on students' learning with technologies (Teaching Assistants and library staff, for example), the scope of the project can only extend to teachers.

Whilst the review was not concerned with research on the CPD experienced by other members of the school workforce, there was an absence in the literature surveyed of references to CPD for these other adults involved in the learning of students. This is clearly an area of literature which is expected to expand in forthcoming years. The focus on CPD is located within a broader literature on teachers' professional learning, which provides a wider frame of reference by which to evaluate the findings from many small-scale studies on CPD which have been published in recent years. The vast majority of studies of CPD included were published post-2006, but some significant work has been included which was published prior to that. The literature on teachers' professional learning includes some important work which predates 2000, where it reflects key ideas about how teachers learn, and learning in professional and work-based contexts (Cuban 2001, pp.38).

Background

An important factor to consider when seeking to understand CPD, is that CPD in general for teachers is to some degree still in its infancy. For example, only relatively recently under the wider package of Workforce reforms have we seen teachers being entitled to three days (see 1988 Education Act), later increased to five days of continuing professional development a year, establishing the principle that teachers need regular professional development. Within this is the distinction of training which focuses on the broad needs of the institution and the specific needs of each individual teacher. Clearly CPD is then part of a wider CPD and workforce agenda. In-service teachers and those who joined teaching over six years ago before the current Standards for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) were introduced are reliant on in-service training and CPD for their training and professional development (Daly et al 2004, pp. 99-111).

It has been, and will be, the main vehicle by which the majority of the workforce gain and update their skills and develop their classroom practice using technologies to support students' learning. In addition, there is growing evidence that the greatest influence on teachers' ongoing professional development is in fact their school environment, and the extent to ...