From Research to Policy: The Implementation Demands of Professional Development

Implementation Demands of Professional Development

From Research to Policy:The Implementation Demands of Professional Development

Evidence Based PoliciesJuly 2006

Philip Adey

Developing Intelligence


Overview

• Introduction• An example of one

effective programme• Empirical studies• The Literature• Components of the

model• The complete model• Implications


Introduction to the issue• Research in social science does produce results• Policy makers often ignore or pervert these

resultsWHY?

• Research counters received wisdom (e.g. streaming)

• Hard to sell (e.g. a ‘Thinking curriculum’)• Difficult / expensive to implement …


An Example: Introducing a “Thinking” Curriculum

“Cognitive Acceleration” rests pillars derived from developmental and cognitive psychology, including:

Social Construction

Dialogue with others is essential

Cognitive Conflict

The mind develops in response to stimulation

MetacognitionReflecting on how

we tackled the problem

This makes major demands on Pedagogy - it requires Heavy Duty Professional Development


… but it does have a reliable effect on academic achievement:

Many studies , 1990 - present, show that classes which use Cognitive Acceleration methods show long term (3 years after the intervention) far-transfer (from science context to English grades) significant (effect sizes up to 1 s.d.) gains in academic achievement.

2.5

E

3.5

D

4.5

C

5.5

B

6.5

A

7.5

20 30 40 50 60 70

Mean Year 7 School Intake (percentile)

St. Albans

Chatham Girls

George Abbott

Sharnbrook

Downend

St. Edmunds

Clapton

Sion Manning

South CamdenRokeby

Downham Market

MeanGrade, end of Y11

GCSE English 1999

Control Schools

National average

CASE Schools


The “Heavy Duty” P.D.

• A two year programme, including:• 7 days of inservice for 2 teachers from each

school• 5 half days coaching visit to schools• Commitment by Head to find time for peer

coaching and in-school P.D.

What is the ‘Minimum Architecture’ of an effective Professional Development programme? - Building a model.


Empirical studies - 1

Interviews, questionnaires with Teachers and Heads‘94, ‘97 studies with Justin Dillon, Shirley Simon and others related Levels of Use (LoU) with cognitive gain, sense of ownership, etc.

0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1

1.2

1.4

1.6

2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5 5 5.5

Teacher Level of Use

Class mean cognitive gain (s)

2.5

3

3.5

4

4.5

5

5.5

2 3 4 5 6 7 8

School mean Communication score

School mean LoU



Long-term follow-up study Study with Marina Bailey, Jo Edwards, and Nasia Michael. In 1998 we visited schools which had participated in the PD from ‘94 - ‘96. What was left?

• PD is for people, not for schools

• The school needs structural changes

• Critical role of Senior management



(iv) Case Studies Nicolette Landau followed 13 teachers of CASE and CAME over two years. She observed them in INSET and classroom settings, and continually interviewed them and their colleagues, triangulating data sources and amassing deep-level ethnographic understanding of each of them.

School Ethos

Teacher Stance

Unsupportive Supportive

Positive

Negative

Must fly!

No hope!

???

???

… exploring the interaction:

Rich stories emerge



Gwen and John Hewitt collected quantitative and qualitative data from children, teachers, principals, and inspectors involved in an attempt to make PD in one London borough systemic - that is, built into the system, self-replicating, and less dependent on outside consultants.

(v) Multi-method investigation of the System


Examples:– Bruce Joyce at al. on coaching– Michael Fullan on the management of change,

and leadership– David Hopkins, Louise Stoll, Peter Mortimore

et al. on school effects, school improvement– Thomas Guskey, Michael Huberman, on

evaluation– And many, many, more

The Literature


Collegiality, Communication, Mutual Reflection

Building a modelFactor 1:Working together for Ownership

Teacher 1OwnershipBelief

change

Early practice

Intuitive practice


change

Early practice

Intuitive practice


change

Early practice

Intuitive practice

Change in students ….


Factor 2: Senior Management

• CommitmentI really want this to happen

• Shared vision … with HoD, Co-ordinator, ...

• Prepared to make structural changes

Time for in-school PD, appointment

policy

School Head (and and Governing Body?)


Factor 3: Quality of PD

• Length, Intensity30 hours of practice … over two years?

• PD pedagogy reflects target pedagogyNot “A lecture on making pupils active..”

• CoachingIn-class support


Factor 4: Quality of the Innovation

• Theory baseIs there a reason why it should work?

• Evidence of effectIs there any research evidence?

• MaterialsComprehensive? Flexible? User-friendly?


Children’s Learning

Children’s Learning

The GroupCollegialityCommunicationShared

reflection

T1Ownership

T1Ownership

T2Ownership

T2Ownership

T3Ownership

T3Ownership

T4Ownership

T4Ownership

T4Ownership

T4Ownership

T4Ownership

T4Ownership

T4Ownership

T4Ownership

A complete (?) model of effective PD

Senior Management

CommittedShared vision

Structural change

Senior Management

CommittedShared vision

Structural change

A Sound InnovationTheory, Evidence, Materials

A Sound InnovationTheory, Evidence, Materials

Good Quality PDDuration, Pedagogy, Coaching

Good Quality PDDuration, Pedagogy, Coaching


Characteristics of the model

• Each of the four elements interacts with all of the others - including pupil response effects on teachers.

• Each element is important - if one is set negative, the whole system fails.

• It follows that PD programmes need to pay attention to all of the elements.


Conclusion

• It is expensive• Professionals are expected to act autonomously

on the basis of their understanding of principles.• PD is messy, uncertain in outcome, and cannot be

easily codified or squeezed into a “Strategy”.

Professional Development means the development of Professionals - not the provision of sets of instructions for technicians. So it is likely to be a stumbling block for policymakers because:


The Professional Development of Teachers: Practice and Theory

Philip Adey

with

Gwen & John Hewitt, and Nicki Landau

Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers, 2004

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From Research to Policy: The Implementation Demands of Professional Development