Evidence for Professional Learning

CUREE chief executive, Philippa Cordingley, explores how using evidence in staff continuing professional development (CPD) can make the process directly relevant to practice and help scaffold deep, sustainable learning for colleagues and pupils.

Learning for adults, like young people, depends on identifying and building on what people already know, understand and believe. Common existing approaches to doing this and rooting CPD in evidence include the use of APP or SATs data to focus colleagues’ development on particular groups of pupils; or using enquiry based approaches in performance reviews, to help identify colleagues’ strengths and areas for development. These approaches to use of evidence are a form of summative assessment.   Here Philippa Cordingley looks at the use of formative assessment in CPD; especially the collection and use of evidence as a practical and motivating core element of staff development. 

Collecting and using evidence for professional learning rather than for making a judgement, an approach that Philippa calls ‘Evidence for  Professional Learning’ (EfPL), enables teachers to move forward effectively in their development. At the heart of this approach is gathering data through observing our own and others’ practice. Teachers who have opportunities to observe and analyse multiple teaching and learning exchanges, can identify strengths to build on, visualise what progress will look like and how to get there effectively and efficiently.  But even though it has been proven to be a crucial ingredient in effective CPD, the opportunity to observe and reflect on practice in depth is a rare one for teachers. She explores practical ways of ending this example by combining the use of video footage of classroom practice and structured, collaborative coaching. This allows the teacher to observe and gain support in reviewing practice, as well as being a powerful catalyst for the analysis and reflection on how professional development and enhanced practice will connect with pupil learning.