Key Information

Research, Innovation and Evidence: Using Research in Professional Development

Embed research into teacher CPD to improve the success of teaching and learning

The majority of teachers want to develop and evolve their practice to be the best practitioner they can be for themselves and their pupils. As time is a rare commodity in teaching, knowing that the efforts you make to develop your practice are likely to be effective is important. This is where using research evidence to inform professional development activities is crucial.

This module will help you to reflect on the importance of embedding quality research in CPD. It will also support you to share research with staff in accessible, actionable and relevant ways. Throughout the module, you will reflect on how what you’ve learned applies to your school or setting and identify actionable next steps to continue your learning.

“Using Research in Professional Development” is useful for any education leader with a responsibility for planning professional development in their setting, either in a team or across a setting.

Does any of this sound familiar? If so, this module is for you.

  • There isn’t a consistent level of engagement with research evidence in my staff team
  • There is interest in developing evidence-informed practice in my setting, but I’m not sure where to start
  • At my school, research is rarely presented to staff in an accessible way
  • Experienced staff at my school are often sceptical of new CPD initiatives
What can I expect from this module?

This Online Learning Module Features:

  • Principles for building a research-informed approach to CPD
  • Video insights from CPD Leaders
  • Approaches to strategically planning designing a programme that aligns with research
  • Downloadable resources
  • A template for planning how to embed research into CPD
  • An interactive learning scenario
  • Case studies from real schools demonstrating good practice and how to overcome common challenges
  • The ability to save your progress to learn at your own pace

Knowing what approaches are consistently shown to have a positive impact on teaching and learning is essential for teachers and leaders to make more informed choices about professional development. 

However, inconsistencies remain in how research is used in schools as part of CPD to raise pupil outcomes.  This isn’t surprising as research often comes in the form of dense academic papers, inaccessible for the average busy teacher.

To successfully embed research evidence into CPD, it’s often important to navigate barriers around engaging with, accessing and critically evaluating research and how to effectively implement findings into a particular context.

 

The whole module is designed to take around 90 minutes to complete, although this will depend on how long you choose to take on the interactive and downloadable elements.

This timing is designed to fit into a PPA slot. However, there is the functionality to save your progress at any time and return later, if you would rather complete the module at a different pace which suits you.

Towards the end of the module, you will be encouraged to reflect and plan your next actions to develop your practice in this area.

When you finish “Using Research in Professional Development”, you will be able to download your certificate of completion. You can also find this saved in your CPD Leadership Hub Profile. You will additionally be directed to more useful resources to continue to grow your understanding.

All Online Learning modules are intended for individual rather than cross-school or trust use. Any certificates of completion will be in the name of the Hub account holder.

Will this module help my CPD Leadership Practice?

The Teacher Development Trust’s insights on what makes great CPD are informed through our close work with education research, as well as our experience of working with over 500 schools on building stronger professional development programmes through the 7 Domains of People-Powered School Improvement

Each module is also shaped by the influential practice of school leaders working in education today, as seen in our case studies.