Elements of effective and sustainable professional learning

Abstract

Teachers’ professional learning can be enhanced by positioning teachers as practitioner researchers and professionals who are capable of generating change within their local educational communities. In this article a teacher’s story is used to show how teacher knowledge was developed and how teachers designed research questions, gathered evidence about their teaching and used this evidence to inform their practice and have a positive impact on their students’ learning. The article then presents a mapping of elements of professional learning that became apparent in one professional learning program in which teachers were given space to develop skills to research their everyday practice; skills that they can continue to use to refine their practice as teachers in the future. A mapping of the elements that contributed to the overall effectiveness of the professional learning program is presented to contribute to the debate surrounding the characteristics of effective professional learning.