Professional learning with impact George Gilchrist Practitioner Enquiry Professional learning with impact George Gilchrist This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA-NC

Traditional Professional Development Piecemeal Generic Unconnected Directed Pick n Mix Low impact Individualistic Off site? ‘done to’ participants

What are researchers saying about professional learning? ‘It is no longer acceptable for professionals in schools to do their individual best. Rather, it is expected that they will engage collectively with what is known to be effective in improving outcomes for all students.’ H Timperley (2011) ‘Most professional development experiences fail to make a difference in one’s teaching, in part because it is often offered as if the culture of the school didn’t matter; as if there was support (over time) and primarily because professional development is often insensitive to the complexities of teaching.’ Lieberman A., Campbell C. and Yashinka A. (2017) ‘Teachers, schools and systems need to be consistently aware, and have dependable evidence of the effects that all are having on their students – and from this evidence make the decisions about how they teach and what they teach.’ J Hattie (2011)

Some others … ‘Professional development as a term and as a strategy has run its course. The future of improvement, indeed of the profession itself, depends on a radical shift in how we conceive learning and the conditions under which teachers and students work.’ M Fullan (2007) ‘Evidence shows that where professional learning experiences focus on the links between particular teaching activities and improved student learning outcomes they are more likely to have a positive impact.’ Harris A. and Jones M. (2012) ‘Collaborative learning and enquiry should be based upon individual and collective professional learning needs… it should allow for a range of starting points and should appropriately differentiate between different professional learning requirements.’ Harris and Jones (2012)

A model for professional learning

What is practitioner enquiry? ‘Practitioner enquiry, as defined by Menter et al (2011) is a ‘finding out’ or an investigation with a rationale and approach that can be explained or defended. The findings can then be shared so that it becomes more than reflection or personal enquiry.’ GTCS This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA

Characteristics Systematic/repeatable Focused on learning and improved outcomes Evidence/research informed Uses data appropriately Collaborative Has focus and small steps Context specific Continuous process ‘done by’

Other ‘enquiry’ approaches Action research Lesson study TLCs and PLCs Collaborative professional enquiry Appreciative enquiry

The typical enquiry process Identify issue. What? Why? Begin to engage with professional reading and dialogue Form an enquiry question Identify focus group Gather data Identify and introduce intervention/change Re-gather data and analyse Share findings and insights Repeat

Impact? For learners? For teachers? For schools? For systems?

Outcomes Raised attainment and achievement Connecting school developments and changes as part of a continuum Deeper learning and deeper understandings Learning cultures enhanced Small changes bringing about large impacts Development of evidence and research informed practice Promotes and supports collaboration Develops dispersed leadership, teacher leadership and teacher agency Enhances system leadership across and beyond individual schools Gives protection from fads and trends

Some considerations Complex and anything but linear Challenging for all Cannot be micro-managed Culture and ethos Time Pandora’s Box Not everything works What’s the alternative?

Thank you George Gilchrist gilchristgeorge@icloud.com.uk Twitter: @GilchristGeorge Blog: gg1952.blogspot.co.uk Books: School Leadership: A Scottish Perspective; Amazon (2011) Practitioner Enquiry: Professional development with impact for teachers, schools and systems; David Fulton Books Routledge (2018)