CUREE supported the TDA’s work in developing the new Masters in Teaching and Learning by facilitating two seminars, aimed at building a shared understanding amongst the stakeholders of what is meant by work-based professional learning and the role of coaching in supporting it. The first seminar was for senior officials from the national agencies, whilst the participants in the second represented various HEIs and schools. Preparation for the first seminar included telephone interviews with key figures in each national agency and preparing a heuristic reflecting the different coaching and professional learning models that they supported. In addition to facilitating the two seminars, CUREE staff attended a number of consultation events during the autumn of 2008. Philippa Cordingley was also a contributor at the MTL Writing Group.
A major part of our involvement was in synthesising the evidence about developing coaching capacity which would support professional learning in schools at Masters Level. We developed a set of principles for professional learning to underpin the coaching process in MTL. The report we submitted to TDA in December 2008 was further developed into a specification for training MTL coaches.
We produced case studies to illustrate the evidence relating to work based professional learning and coaching, based on field work conducted in four schools around the country.