The professional development of teachers

This thesis brings together a set of research publications on the professional development of teachers spanning a period of twenty years. A common thread through these publications is the control of professional development. The point of departure in the thesis is the aspiration in the 1973 Karmel Report to make professional development a responsibility of the profession. Two questions recur through the chapters: Why has it been difficult for the teaching profession to assume a major responsibility for the professional development of its own members, in comparison with most professions? What are the most appropriate means by which the teaching profession can undertake a greater responsibility for the professional development of its members in the future? A number of strategies are identified that have been used over the past twenty three years to realise the Karmel vision, from teachers centres and school-focused professional development to the direct funding of teacher associations and the establishment of national professional bodies. Nevertheless, it is still not possible to say the teaching profession now takes the major responsibility for the continuing development of its members. There is a growing realisation that it is in the national interest for teaching to be in a stronger position to attract and retain higher quality graduates in the future. The thesis argues that this will require new career structures and pay systems that encourage and reward advances in teacher knowledge and skill. These structures. in turn will require a new infrastructure to support professional learning. Public support for greater investment in teachers will depend upon the development of valid standards for beginning and advanced stages in teaching and more rigorous procedures for evaluating teacher who attain them. The concluding chapter argues for a 'standards-driven model of professional development' as the means by which the Karmel vision might one day become a reality. Four requirements are identified for the creation of such a model: - leadership; standards; incentives; and new models of provision.