An Exploration of the Long-Term Impacts of Short CPD Workshops

Cole, Michael John (2018) An Exploration of the Long-Term Impacts of Short CPD Workshops. Doctoral thesis, Northumbria University.

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Abstract

The purpose of this PhD study is to explore the impact of, and conditions influencing, the impacts of short subject specific episodes of CPD on teachers’ practices and pupils’ learning. Implications for teachers’ professional development will be discussed.

A three-phase sequential mixed-methods approach was employed. Phase 1 semi-structured interviews were used to establish the nature and extent of change to teaching practices following a short CPD workshop. 110 pre-course questionnaires were used to establish participants’ expectations, and 80 post course impact questionnaires were used to identify impacts on teaching practices and pupils’ learning. Finally, five semi-structured interviews were carried out to explore the emerging themes, of the significance of self-determination theory (SDT) and teacher agency (TA), in further detail.

The key findings from this sequential mixed-methods study suggest that one-day science subject specific CPD workshops can have valuable impacts on teachers’ practices and pupils’ learning. However, new resources and ideas gained as a result of engaging with the CPD may remain latent until the occurrence of a ‘critical event’, which acts to trigger new practices. Significantly, critical events emerge because of teachers’ determination to implement new changes and their relations with the socio-political educational environment.

The interplay between a teacher’s self-determination and their socio-political environment, impacts on agency and capacity to implement new practices. An understanding of such interactions is essential to understanding the nature and extent of changes to practices following a teacher’s engagement with CPD.

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