Effective Teacher Development: Theory and Practice in Professional Learning

About the Author

Bob Burstow is Visiting Research Fellow at Kings College London, UK, where he was formerly Senior Lecturer and Director of Teacher Development.

Product Description

The responsibility for facilitating effective continuing professional development (CPD) is based firmly in schools. Frequently, decisions are based on gut feeling, advertisements received or prior experiences. Effective Teacher Development encourages readers to move beyond this and to enhance their strategic decision making in order to effectively develop CPD programmes within their school, partner schools, federations or school chains. The theory behind CPD is explored, drawing on research and evidence from recent practice, including a 10-year international longitudinal study of the effectiveness of professional development to teachers. Readers are supported to develop their understanding of the whole life cycle of a CPD programme, from setting up a new programme to evaluating the effectiveness of existing provision. Chapter summaries and navigational tools support readers looking for guidance on particular issues and questions encourage readers to reflect on the impact of suggestions in their own particular context.
Effective Teacher Development is essential reading all involved in designing, implementing and developing effective CPD programmes.

Review

Bob Burstow makes an important contribution to the complex field of teachers' professional learning and development in this rich, contextually layered book. Chapter by chapter the reader is taken through fine-grained analyses of local and global professional learning initiatives. At the heart of this book is a desire to support professional learning that has integrity - that is formed by and with teachers.
Hazel Bryan, Professor of Education, University of Gloucestershire, UK