1. Professional learning with impact George Gilchrist
Practitioner Enquiry
Professional learning with impact
George Gilchrist
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2. Traditional Professional Development
Piecemeal
Generic
Unconnected
Directed
Pick n Mix
Low impact
Individualistic
Off site?
‘done to’ participants

3. 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)

4. 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)

5. A model for professional learning

6. 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
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7. 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’

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

9. 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

10. Impact?
For learners?
For teachers?
For schools?
For systems?

11. 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

12. 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?

13. Thank you George Gilchrist gilchristgeorge@icloud.com.uk
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)