Methods

• Data collection methods included:• Group interviews with SLT • Individual interviews with a sample of staff• Focus group(s)• Staff survey• Documentary analysis

• Importance of triangulation• Evidence analysed against research-based

benchmarks

Approach• Key areas• Needs analysis• Collaboration• Use of specialist expertise• Use of evidence• Leadership

• For each area, the quality and consistency of professional learning is assessed using a four point range:• Developing• Enhancing• Embedding• Transforming

Staff focus groups

• 80 secondary school teachers from 9 schools• 51 primary school teachers from 8 schools

Specialist expertise

How schools value/prioritise, evaluate and deploy specialist expertise to • raise expectations by illustrating possibilities, • contextualise generic approaches in subject contexts

in depth, • challenge “group think” • access high impact approaches - do few things well.

Via, NLEs, SLT, SLEs, subject coordinators, HoDs from own or other schools, LAs, HEIs, universities, other providers

Types of people used by primary and secondary teachers

AST HoD LA advisor External consultant SLT Mentors Speaker at a conference Colleagues0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

35%

72%

12%

35%

57%

29%

45%

40%

16% 16%20%

32%

46%

24%20%

28%

secondary teachers used primary teachers used

Perc

enta

ge o

f tea

cher

s

Perc

enta

ge o

f tea

cher

sTypes of people used by and most useful for

primary and secondary teachers

HoD SLT Speaker at conference Colleagues0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

secondary teachers usedsecondary teachers most usefulprimary teachers usedprimary teachers most useful

Processes used by primary & secondary schools

Coaching PPT Observation & feedback

Modelling Mentoring Team teaching Joint planning Premade resources

Reading0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

51%

45%

75%

43%46%

32%

60%

68%

43%

12%14%

50%

32%

22%

28%

46%

24%26%

secondary teachers used primary teachers used

Perc

enta

ge o

f tea

cher

s

Processes used by and most useful for primary and secondary teachers

Perc

enta

ge o

f tea

cher

s

PPT Obs & feedback Mentoring Premade resources Reading0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

secondary teachers usedsecondary teachers most usefulprimary teachers usedprimary teachers most useful

Places used by primary and secondary schools

Extern

al co

nferen

ces

Magazi

nes/books

Internet

Internet

forums

Extern

al sem

inars

In school

Industry p

lacem

ents

Extern

al tra

ining0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

60%

31%

82%

11%

31%

8%3% 3%

24%

14%

62%

6%

24%

14%

0% 0%

secondary teachers used primary teachers used

Perc

enta

ge o

f tea

cher

s

Places used by and most useful for primary and secondary teachers

Perc

enta

ge o

f tea

cher

s

External conferences Internet Internet forums0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

secondary teachers usedsecondary teachers most usefulprimary teachers usedprimary teachers most useful

CollaborationStrategic use of Collaboration for professional learning within CPD events, as part of full range of CPD activity to embed and secure ownership. Reciprocal vulnerability:• Deepens ownership –teachers become committed to

each other, • Makes tacit explicit,• Extends possibilities • Embeds specialist contribution

E.g. Co-coaching, R&D teams, curriculum planning, peer planning/teaching, research lesson study, departmental or phase developments - plus debriefing

• Just over 40% of practitioners who select departmental meetings as a key opportunity for collaboration say departmental/team meetings focus on:• ‘whole school business’• admin• senior and middle leaders conveying information• versus pupils, their learning or pedagogy or curriculum

• Unsurprisingly, nearly half would like these meetings to :• Focus on T&L• Offer more opportunities to share and explore new practices• Provide opportunities for collaborative planning, resource development• Explore how to embed and evaluate learning and change

Department and team meetings

Departmental and team meetings: process

* Multiple answers possible

Open/ev

eryone c

ontributes

/take

turn

s to lea

d

Focused

(e.g.

Agenda,

actions)

Informal/

relax

ed

Led by o

ne pers

on

Form

al

Frien

dly, su

pportive

Limite

d opportunities

for parti

cipati

on

Rushed/no time t

o explore

issues

in depth/time c

onstrain

ts

Choice (e

.g. To

atten

d) and owners

hip0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

50%

50%

37%

27%

22% 20% 20%

12%

5% 3%

• Circa 20% describe meetings as supportive/collaborative• Circa 30% pri staff and almost twice as many (53%) sec staff

highlight that all staff can and do contribute• But 15% of sec practitioners say they are ‘talked at’ and lack

opportunities to contribute to/ influence these meetings in a meaningful way.

• This was most frequently identified as an area needing change

• It is the opportunity to contribute and influence the agenda, etc that strongly come across as the thing that would enhance professional learning

Departmental and team meetings: the issue of participation

Use of EvidenceUse of different kinds of evidence as part of support for CPD and for professional learning by individuals and at whole school level to secure depth E.g.:• Exploration of pupil achievement data• Micro enquiry tools to scaffold enquiry e.g. research

tasters for co-coaching, research lesson study• Evidence collected by R&D groups • Videos• Work scrutiny • “Learning walks”

How is the evidence used: overview

• Proportion of evidence used for development and accountability (PM) was identical in pri and sec,

• proportion used for only one purpose reversed: • Sec: circa 40% development, 20% accountability• Pri: circa 20% development, over 40% accountability

Accountability only Development only Both0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

22%

33%

45%

How was the evidence used: patterns in the evidence

Extensive use of evidence for both accountability and PL:• Feedback from SLT• Observation notes

Evidence used most frequently for accountability only - student data and evidence of their work (e.g. Workbooks):Types of evidence practitioners reported using mostly for their own learning (NB: more sec than pri):• CPD evaluation forms• Learning journals• Videos of other’s practice• Skills assessment/diagnostic activities

Challenges and missed opportunities

• Complexity of using student learning process data in professional learning (need for tools and training);

• Insufficient use of self video and learning logs everywhere, especially in primary

• CPD evaluation forms – surprisingly frequently used by practitioners (esp sec) to support their professional learning, yet often of poor quality with regards to:• securing depth of learning • making links with student learning and outcomes • planning for embedding learning into practice, and• evaluation of impact

Contact Detailsphilippa.cordingley@curee.co.uk@PhilippaCcureewww.curee.co.uk

Centre for the Use of Research and Evidence in Education

4 Copthall HouseStation Square

Coventry CV1 2FL024 7652 4036