Redefining teachers’ continuing professional development in further education providers in England

Abstract

This research investigated the role of continuing professional development (CPD) in further education (FE) through a small-scale study involving two general FE colleges and two independent training providers (ITP) in England. Teachers’ experiences of their continuing development were collected through focus groups. These encouraged the teachers to disclose formal and informal learning, together with development opportunities that they undertook. Analysis of the data revealed that the purposes of these developmental activities could be divided into two categories: organisational and occupational. Organisational training functioned to transmit knowledge linked to externally-driven objectives, whilst occupational development functioned to update vocational subject specialisms and develop classroom pedagogy. Organisational training was college/provider-led, whereas occupational development was teacher-controlled. Essentially, both were needed to support teachers in their full professional roles, but organisational training took precedence. The study will further an understanding of professional development processes and purposes in FE, thereby informing the planning of CPD systems and policy in the sector.