Continuing professional development for experienced physical education teachers: towards effective provision

Abstract

Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is now a cornerstone of education policy in the UK and elsewhere. If policy aspirations translate successfully into practice, then (funded) CPD opportunities will abound and teachers will be ‘developed’ in a logical and structured way from the moment they enter the profession until retirement. As a result (it is claimed) teacher retention will be improved, pupils' learning will be enhanced and standards within education will rise. Yet, although there is a growing consensus in the research literature about the kind of CPD that could be effective in supporting teacher and pupil learning, there is little evidence that such CPD exists in physical education. This paper summarises current CPD theory and research, considers existing evidence on the nature and quality of PE‐CPD in the UK, and explores three interlinked proposals for developing a more effective model of PE‐CPD provision. The case is made that radical changes to the structure and content of PE‐CPD are required if it is to impact upon the quality of teacher and pupil learning.