Professional Learning Flagship Program: Leading Curriculum Change

p. 1051) conclude that, ‘Findings validate the need for alternative teacher professional development(TPD) models and the value of professional communities and knowledge acquired through technologyfacilitatedlearning’.Teacher preferences in professional learningWhile there is considerable research on the features of PL which have identifiable effects on teachers’knowledge, beliefs and practices, there is less evidence of teachers’ preferences for particular modesof PL.A UK survey was designed to capture a nationwide, representative sample of teachers, headteachersand schools to identify patterns of variation in the professional learning practices, values and beliefs ofteachers in English primary and secondary schools (Opfer, Pedder, and Lavicza 2008). Factor analysiswas used to identify underlying dimensions of teachers’ PL-related values and practices. The findingsidentified four factors related to organisational practices and patterns and school support:• A clear vision and formal systems of professional support and impact evaluation, which were highlyvalued. This included items referring to school leadership and staff commitment around a clearschool vision, as well as provision of PL opportunities and evaluation.• Performance management processes, which were valued by primary school teachers, schoolleaders, teachers in rural schools and advanced skills as well as novice teachers, but less so byothers. Performance management helped teachers link PL to professional standards and individualcareer goals.• Building social capital, which was the highest of all dimensions of school support, and referredto ‘fostering a learning culture in which teachers trust one another to take risks, plan together,and network as part of their CPD’ (Opfer et al. 2008). Items dealt with the occurrence of opencommunication where discussion, advice and collective decision-making about teaching occurred.• Supporting collaboration, networking and experimentation, though here values were only ‘fairlyhigh’, except for advanced skills teachers who recorded high values for this dimension.The survey by Opfer et al. (2008) also asked teachers about their values and practices for differentkinds of classroom-based professional learning activity, leading to the identification of three factors:• Experimental and adaptive learning, where ‘teachers learn by experimenting and adapting theirclassroom practices, reflection, self-evaluation, and responding to feedback from pupils andcolleagues’ (Opfer et al. 2008). The highest levels of values were recorded for this dimensionacross all sectors of schooling.• Research orientation had low levels of support from most teachers, but higher levels fromheadteachers, senior leaders and advanced skills teachers. This included reading researchreports, relating practice to research findings and modifying practice in the light of research.• Collaborative classroom-based learning and research, which was fairly highly valued, and includedjoint research/evaluation with colleagues, reflective discussions about practice, and collaborativeteaching and planning.The most comprehensive Australian evidence of teachers’ PL beliefs and preferences comes from a2008 study which surveyed 4574 teachers in 2000 schools across all States and Territories (Doecke etal. 2008). The survey found that:• The most preferred PL activities were those which provided ideas which could be incorporatedinto teaching (90%), included the latest trends in educational thinking (45%), challenged thinkingwith ‘big ideas’ (43%) and led to talking about work to other teachers (42%).• The reason for participation in PL was usually a personal choice from available options (55%),but often a decision by school administration (35%) or school administration influenced by externalpriorities (24%) or a school- based committee (22%).13 Professional Learning Flagship Program: Leading Curriculum Change: Literature Review