A Model for the Professional Development of Teachers

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A Model for the Professional Development of
Teachers
Conference on Modernizing the Hungarian Education
System Budapest September 3rd 2007

• Philip Adey
• Kings College London

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Overview

• Origin of the issue
• Empirical studies
• The Literature
• Components of the model
• The complete model
• Implications

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Introducing a Thinking Curriculum
Cognitive Acceleration rests on a six-pillar
model, derived from developmental and cognitive
psychology. Pillars include
This makes major demands on Pedagogy - it
requires Heavy Duty Professional Development
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For example.
teaching for the development of intelligence
high quality conceptual instruction
Vs.
Tolerating difficulty Children will struggle, a
bit There might be no right answer It is the
groups product which is valued Time for
reflection
Strive to make everything accessible Clear
goals to be achieved Covering material Value
independent work The product not the process
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Sources of understanding PD 1 Experience

• PD in the Caribbean and Indonesia
• -- 1970 - 73 / 80 - 83
• PD for Cognitive Acceleration
• 1984 - present

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Empirical studies

• (i) Effects of CA on students
• Many studies , 1990 - present, show that classes
  which use Cognitive Acceleration methods show
  long term (3 years after the intervention)
  far-transfer (from science context to English
  grades) significant (effect sizes up to 1 s.d.)
  gains in academic achievement.

But can we attribute this unequivocally to the
PD?
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Empirical studies, cont.

• (ii) Interviews, questionnaires with Teachers and
  Principals
• 94, 97 studies with Justin Dillon, Shirley
  Simon and others related Levels of Use (LoU) with
  cognitive gain, sense of ownership, etc.

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Empirical studies, cont.

• (iii) Long-term follow-up study
• Study with Marina Bailey, Jo Edwards, and Nasia
  Michael. In 1998 we visited schools which had
  participated in the PD from 94 - 96. What was
  left?

PD is for people, not for schools The
school needs structural changes Critical role
of Senior management
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Empirical studies, cont.

• (iv) Case Studies
• Nicolette Landau followed 13 teachers of CASE and
  CAME over two years. She observed them in INSET
  and classroom settings, and continually
  interviewed them and their colleagues,
  triangulating data sources and amassing
  deep-level ethnographic understanding of each of
  them.

Rich stories emerge
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Empirical studies
(v) Multi-method investigation of the System

• Gwen and John Hewitt collected quantitative and
  qualitative data from children, teachers,
  principals, and inspectors involved in an attempt
  to make PD in one London borough systemic - that
  is, built into the system, self-replicating, and
  less dependent on outside consultants.

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The Literature

• Examples
• Bruce Joyce at al. on coaching
• Michael Fullan on the management of change, and
  leadership
• David Hopkins, Louise Stoll, Peter Mortimore et
  al. on school effects, school improvement
• Thomas Guskey, Michael Huberman, on evaluation
• And many, many, more

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Building a modelFactor 1Working together for
Ownership
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Factor 2 Senior Management
School Principal (and School Board??)
Commitment I really want this to happen
Shared vision with HoD, Co-ordinator, ...  
Prepared to make structural changes Time for
in-school PD, appointment policy
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Factor 3 Quality of PD
Length, Intensity 30 hours of practice over
two years?
PD pedagogy reflects target pedagogy Not A
lecture on making pupils active..
Coaching In-class support
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Factor 4 Quality of the Innovation
Theory base Is there a reason why it should
work?
Evidence of effect Is there any research
evidence?
Materials Comprehensive? Flexible?
User-friendly?
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A complete (?) model of effective PD
Childrens Learning
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Implications

• Innovation takes much longer than you expect
• It requires belief change in teachers and they
  need opportunities for, inter alia, much
  collegial interchange and support
• Head teachers play a critical role
• Insist on high quality PD providers
• Try to ensure that your innovation has some
  validity

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Read all about it ...

• The Professional Development of Teachers
  Practice and Theory
• Philip Adey
• with
• Gwen John Hewitt, and Nicki Landau
• Dordrecht Kluwer Academic Publishers, 2004