Continuing Professional Development Opportunities Research Articles

The Prevalence of Negative Teacher-Related Factors in a Ghanaian Municipality’s Basic Schools

Our paper explored teacher- related factors responsible for low academic performance of junior high school pupils in the Effutu municipality of Ghana. We adopted the descriptive survey research design and educational productivity theory (theoretical framework) for this study. Questionnaires were used to gather data from three hundred participants. Using purposive sampling technique, the researchers selected 300 public basic school teachers as participants for the study. Using simple percentages and frequencies we established that several teacher- related factors contributed toward pupils’ low academic performance in the municipality. These include a lack of teacher job satisfaction leading to poor work habit, teachers failure to use teaching and learning materials, inability to complete the syllabi, a lack of opportunities for continuous professional development, poor preparation of lesson note, teacher lateness and absenteeism and less remedial teaching to improve pupils academic performance. We therefore recommend effective supervision of teachers’ instructional activities by circuit supervisors and head teachers. In addition, the Ghana Education Service should ensure adequate provision of teaching and learning materials and a possible review of teacher remuneration, incentives and allowances for improved teacher job satisfaction. More so, there should be regular organization of in –service training for teachers to sensitize them on various opportunities available for continuous professional development in order to improve their knowledge and skills based and its likely increase in educational outcomes.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: PROMOTING QUALITY EDUCATION IN LEARNING INSTITUTIONS IN KENYA THROUGH ENHANCED TEACHER CAPACITY

Lifelong learning entails that employees are facilitated with opportunities for continuous professional development in order to unlearn obsolete skills and learn new skills to help them adopt to the dynamic changes that have become global. Similarly, lifelong professional development is critical because the world today is undergoing major changes in socio-economic, political, climate, technology and shift in global markets that demand relearning in order to acquire relevant skills to cope with the changes. These dynamic changes require building teacher capacity continually to enable them offer education that is relevant to the needs of the society. In this regard, it is imperative that learning institutions embrace best practices in professional development in order to transform teachers’ teaching practices and improve student’ learning. In-service teachers for instance should be facilitated with regular and systematically structured staff development programmes to enhance their professional skills. This paper reviews literature on teacher professional development with a view to making recommendations on how learning institutions in Kenya could establish adequate structures to facilitate teachers with effective professional development with a view to empowering them to deliver holistic quality education that adequately meets the needs of today’s dynamic society. Holistic quality education is critical in impacting the economic development of the society. This in turn contributes to accelerating sustainable development. Article visualizations:

Involvement of community pharmacists in continuing professional development (CPD): a baseline survey in Gondar, Northwest Ethiopia

BackgroundHealth care professionals have been striving to maintain their competence to deliver the best quality of service. This study intended to determine involvement in continuing professional development of community pharmacists in Gondar, Northwest Ethiopia.MethodsAbout 46 community pharmacists, each from a different setting, were interviewed using structured questionnaire. Data were analyzed using Pearson’s Chi-square test of independence and Mann-Whitney U test with p < 0.05 taken as statistically significant.ResultsThe majority (n = 26, 56.5%) reported of being unaware of the CPD concept. The mean hour spent per week on CPD is 4.1 ± 4.0. Most (n = 34, 73.9%) were engaged in self directed learning and expressed an interest to be more involved in CPD activities (N = 39, 84.8%). Interactive workshops were the most preferred modality. However they seek further support in the process of identifying learning needs (N = 34, 73.9%). The main barriers for CPD engagement include lack of (N = 36, 78.3%) and inaccessibility (N = 34, 73.9%) of CPD opportunities as well as time shortage (N = 33, 71.7%).ConclusionsThe community pharmacists in Gondar, Northwest Ethiopia lack awareness of CPD concept but engaged in various types of CPD activities. They demonstrated good attitude and seek more support. The main barrier was lack of opportunities related to CPD.

Continuing professional development for medical, nursing, and midwifery cadres in Malawi, Tanzania and South Africa: A qualitative evaluation.

BackgroundAs innovations in the prevention and treatment of HIV and TB advance, continuing professional development (CPD) of health care workers (HCWs) remains a high priority, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa where dual TB/HIV epidemics are compounded by severe HCW shortages. There is further need to examine CPD programs to identify challenges and effective solutions to strengthen HIV/TB-related CPD.MethodsQualitative evaluations in Malawi, Tanzania and South Africa (RSA) were conducted using key informant interviews (KIIs) and focus group discussions (FGDs) in each country to identify barriers and enablers of effective HIV/TB-related CPD. Key stakeholders represented CPD implementers, regulators, and developers. HCWs were purposively sampled from high disease burden districts; each HCW completed brief, semi-structured questionnaires and participated in a FGD. KII and FGD results were combined into key themes spanning across countries using a grounded theory approach.ResultsFifty-two KIIs were conducted: 17 in Malawi, 19 in Tanzania and 16 in RSA. Eighty-nine HCWs (24 from Malawi, 38 from Tanzania and 27 from RSA) completed questionnaires and participated in FGDs. Primarily, lack of sustainable financial resources and limitations in coordination of CPD result in poor accountability for CPD oversight and reduce CPD quality assurance. Healthcare worker shortages limit CPD opportunities, creating disparities in CPD access. CPD irrelevance and imbalance between HCW-identified CPD needs and current programs reduce enthusiasm for CPD. Facility-level constraints, including poor infrastructure and weak supply chains, restrict implementation of CPD skills and knowledge. Challenges are more severe in rural settings.ConclusionTo address identified gaps, sustainable funding, strong leadership and collaboration at every level are needed to strengthen CPD regulation and accreditation systems; increase CPD accessibility in the workplace; and create enabling environments for CPD implementation. Together, these improvements may improve TB/HIV CPD quality and patient outcomes.

ELT teachers working in underprivileged districts of Turkey and their perspective of continuous professional development opportunities

The purpose of this research is to enquire the ELT teachers’ perspective of continuous professional development under restricted conditions they are obliged to teach English. Therefore, 20 EFL teachers who have been working at different state schools in the remote villages of southeast region of Turkey were selected as the participants of the inquiry. The data were collected in two different processes. First, all the teachers in the study were interviewed to answer the questions in the first part of the survey individually. Then, randomly selected 12 teachers were separated into two groups for online focus-group discussions, which were held in a semi-structured context by leading questions adapted from Brown (2013). Data collection processes were audio-recorded, and the qualitative data obtained from interviews and focus group discussions were coded and clustered to form specific themes. The results of the research revealed that teachers working in underprivileged districts of Turkey: (a) believe the crucial contribution of professional development activities for teacher quality and/or student achievement (b) have very limited opportunities and options for sustained professional development, and (c) think that the times allocated for professional development activities should be increased. Moreover, teachers these teachers (d) hope to take place in the planning phase of professional development activities, and (e) are dissatisfied with unfair financial situation. Upon the analysis of these items stated in the results, male teachers were found to focus on more general ideas compared to female teachers (item a and item b). On the other hand, the results indicated that female teachers focused on specific ideas statistically more often compared to male teachers (item c and item d). The teachers did not show statistical gender difference in terms of financial limitations (item e). The results of the research might be generalized to the similar contexts in other underprivileged districts, and similar researches might be conducted with teachers of other fields in order to reach results that are more generalizable.

Assessment of management capacity to improve the value of health-care systems: a survey

Abstract Background Strong management is important for high-value health-care systems if returns on global health investments are to be delivered and the Sustainable Development Goals met by 2030. Managers are responsible for care delivery systems and strategies, making sure that health services benefit the population they intend to serve. Most managers in resource-limited settings work at the district level and below, with little training in non-clinical skills. They are often health care providers who have been promoted into management roles. Here, we aimed to understand the most challenging aspects of the health-care management role in resource-constrained settings and to identify gaps in managers' skills and knowledge in order to better design programmes and tools to support managers in their delivery of care. Methods We sent a web-based branching survey to frontline global health managers via Devex between October, 2014, and January, 2015. The survey used multiple-choice and Likert-scale questions about skills within five categories of management in global health: finance; human resources; facility/supply chain or inventory management; clinical, field, or laboratory team management; and relationships with community and partners. Before the survey, we did a literature review, held a virtual discussion with experts, and piloted the survey to refine areas of management and enable targeted training. The pilot survey was also completed by mid-career professionals attending the Global Health Delivery Intensive at the Harvard T H Chan School of Public Health in July, 2013. Findings We included data from from 350 survey respondents in 44 low-income countries, the virtual discussion panel with 131 experts from five continents, and responses from 33 Global Health Delivery Intensive attendees from 11 countries. Our findings indicated that health-care managers are short on time, are required to multitask without an understanding of priorities, and that they lack management skills, motivation, and information. We refined our intensive global health delivery course to meet what were identified as the most pressing challenges, and we offer an online community of practice to facilitate peer-to-peer learning and expert guidance to these areas. In 2016, 52 professionals from 24 countries participated in the eighth annual Global Health Delivery Summer Intensive. More than 90% of respondents (n=49) said they planned to incorporate their learning to make changes to their professional approach or practice. Interpretation Universities can play an important role in convening managers and helping them to facilitate knowledge dissemination and translation. Future investments are needed to ensure global health professionals can access continuous professional development opportunities. Funding The Abundance Foundation.

Educational Reforms and Implications on Teachers’ World of Work: Perspectives of Fijian Primary Teachers

This preliminary study reports on educational changes and its impact on primary teachers’ world of work in Fiji. Data were gathered from 38 primary teachers, using a questionnaire of Likert scale items and open-ended questions aiming to identify the intensity of the changes that have occurred in their work. The data analysis reveals the educational reforms as having intensified the work of teachers. In this regard, the principal stakeholder needs to be mindful of cumulative ongoing changes, to avoid any serious ramifications for teachers’ workload and in turn children’s learning outcomes. Teachers themselves highlighted the need for future changes to include more opportunities for continuous professional development to enable them to cope well with new demands of work. Implications of the study’s findings are also pertinent to other developing contexts such as those in the Pacific region and beyond because of ongoing transformations occurring in education systems worldwide

Continuing professional development and challenges facing newly graduated midwives in Papua New Guinea

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Background: &lt;/strong&gt;The Maternal Mortality Ratio in Papua New Guinea (PNG) in 2008 was estimated at more than 700 deaths per 100,000 live births. In recognition of the high MMR, a Ministerial Taskforce was established in 2009 with recommendations to urgently address the workforce capacity in regard to maternal and child health services. In 2010, a new competency-based Bachelor of Midwifery curriculum was introduced into four universities in PNG and an increase in the numbers of midwifery students took place over a four year period.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Aim: &lt;/strong&gt;The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of Papua New Guinean midwifery graduates from the 2012 and 2013 Bachelor of Midwifery cohorts. These graduates were among the first to complete the revised national midwifery curriculum designed to improve the knowledge and skills of a registered midwife graduate.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Method: &lt;/strong&gt;A descriptive exploratory study was undertaken to explore the experiences of 174 graduates in the first two years post-graduation. All graduates that were able to be contacted were provided with information about the study, consented and were interviewed either face-to-face or by phone/email. Quantitative data were analysed using simple descriptive statistics in SPSS and qualitative data underwent content analysis and coding by the research team.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Findings: &lt;/strong&gt;Almost all (90%) graduates were working as midwives with 39% of graduates working in rural and remote locations across PNG. Midwifery education prepared graduates well for their work as midwives, but many commented that the course needed to be longer to improve feelings of competence. Professional support during their graduate year varied depending on location and motivation of supervisors. Many graduates, particularly those in rural areas, expressed the desire to work under clinical supervision in a hospital setting for a period of 6-12 months at the end of their training to become more skilled and confident prior to seeking employment.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conclusion: &lt;/strong&gt;Most midwifery graduates from the new curriculum found employment as midwives. Only a minority of graduates have had opportunities for continued professional development or support from a mentor of senior colleague. Regular, ongoing professional development and supervision needs to be initiated for the provision of skilled and evidence based care. Support and incentives for staff to work in rural and remote areas should be considered.&lt;/p&gt;

To disclose or not to disclose? Workplace experiences of healthcare professionals with specific learning difficulties: transition from education to employment

Relevance: This survey investigated the experiences of nurses, physiotherapists and a variety of allied health professionals (AHP) employed by the National Health Service (NHS) related to specific learning difficulties (SpLD). Understanding issues faced by those w ith a SpLD in the context of the w orkplace and the impact on access to continuing professional development (CPD) has the potential to impact on practice and career progression making it relevant to Congress Theme 2. Purpose: To explore the experiences of nurses and AHPs w ith a SpLD in the NHS w orkplace. Methods/Analysis: This w as the final phase of a 3-phase evaluation. A questionnaire survey w as used to investigate the experiences of nurses and AHPs, w ith a SpLD, w orking in the NHS and their transitions from education to employment. Questions w ere developed from the qualitative findings of phase 2, w hich investigated these issues in physiotherapy. Participants w ere recruited using social media and email via NHS North West, Higher Education Institution (HEI) and other gatekeepers. Data w ere summarised using tables, histograms and pie charts. Open text comments w ere analysed using thematic analysis. Ethical approval w as gained from Manchester Metropolitan University. Results: As a student, more participants disclosed their SpLD to their HEI than did not disclose. How ever, on clinical placement and on application for an NHS post few er disclosed and there w as an even split betw een disclosure/non-disclosure. Once in employment, the trend w as tow ards disclosure. Non-disclosure w as related to fears of discrimination; of negative perceptions that might be held by others and that the use of assistive technology w ould lessen their w orth in the eyes of others. Participants did not report less favourable treatment compared to non-dyslexic peers, nor did they consider that less w as expected from them. Most had not experienced bullying and enjoyed supportive relationships w ith their co-w orkers. How ever, w hilst students in HEIs benefited from academic support on campus, the same adjustment w as not available on placement in NHS Trusts and once they had made transition to the w orkplace. Over a third of respondents felt their SpLD impacted on their ability to engage w ith CPD. Respondents felt that they had to ask for reasonable adjustment rather than have it provided automatically once the need w as recognised. Discussion and conclusions: Data from the survey suggests that disclosure of SpLD to HEI and to employers is likely, w hilst disclosure on placement and on application for employment is less likely. This seems to be related to fears of discrimination and negative perceptions that might be held by others. Non-disclosure is a barrier to the provision of reasonable adjustment. Impact and Implications: Lack of reasonable adjustment related to non-disclosure or failure to provide reasonable adjustment is a potential issue for those w ith SpLD. It may be that career progression/success in funded CPD opportunities is impeded because some w ith SpLD do not have access to reasonable adjustment/assistive technology. Funding Acknowledgement: Health Education North West

Stimuli-responsive survey of HPS to detect learning attitudes and needs of Greek pharmacists towards CPD

The purpose of this study was to examine pharmacists' attitudes, behaviorisms, and preferences towards continuous professional development (CPD) in Greece. The Hellenic Pharmaceutical Society (HPS) in Greece developed a questionnaire that was available online for the Greek pharmacists from all working fields to fill out. All responses were included in the data collection and survey results were compiled into Excel software spreadsheets for analysis. Pharmacists in Greece seemto understand the need of CPD in their profession and are willing to undertake courses to enhance CPD opportunities: all of the respondents agreed on the need to strengthen their knowledge and 57% of them indicated that they would be willing to participate in a complete program of high level interactive training that leads to certification after suitable examinations and, 31% were willing to participate in interactive training and 12% were willing to participate in a basic training. Almost half of the respondents were willing to spendmore than 8 hours permonth on their continuing education indicating that Greek pharmacists are willing to adopt a complete CE system. This study provides and assesses important baseline data on pharmacists and CPD in Greece to provide guidance to future efforts towards development of a CPD program.

Survey of Australasian geriatricians' satisfaction with, and preferences for, continuing professional development.

Continuing professional development (CPD) is an obligation for all Australasian geriatricians; however, there are no systematic data regarding Australian and New Zealand geriatricians' satisfaction with, and preferences for, CPD. To inform understanding of Australasian geriatricians' satisfaction with, and preferences for, CPD. An electronic survey to collect data relating to demographics, current CPD activities, preferred CPD activities and perceived major barriers to CPD was distributed to 706 geriatricians in Australia and New Zealand. Two hundred and thirteen (30%) responses were received. Respondents commonly reported CPD through participation in conferences (n = 205 (96%)) and research/educational activity (n = 146 (70%)). Most respondents agreed that the annual scientific meeting (n = 168 (79%)) and state-based meetings (n = 135 (63%)) are valuable for their CPD. Respondents perceived their professional (n = 155 (73%)) and non-professional (n = 21 (57%)) commitments as the major barriers to quality CPD. Respondents supported additional electronic CPD resources being made available, improved integration of assessment in CPD activities and flexible methods of CPD participation to meet the diverse needs of geriatricians. Respondents perceived the face-to-face CPD opportunities currently available to them as valuable for their CPD but seek additional, flexible products to enable CPD participation based on individual needs and preferences.

Musculoskeletal services in primary care in the Republic of Ireland: an insight into the perspective of physiotherapists

ObjectivesWith a shift in musculoskeletal physiotherapy from secondary to primary care in Ireland, this study aimed to explore physiotherapists’ experiences of providing musculoskeletal physiotherapy in primary care to gain an insight into their changing roles, challenges in service delivery and continuing professional development (CPD) needs. DesignQualitative design using focus group interviews. SettingPrimary care physiotherapy services in the Republic of Ireland. ParticipantsFour focus groups with four junior and 15 senior physiotherapists working in a musculoskeletal public primary care setting took place nationally, representing an urban and rural case mix. ResultsPhysiotherapists identified significant differences in the provision of musculoskeletal physiotherapy services across primary care sites. A number of environmental barriers were identified that impacted on service delivery, including physical infrastructure, equipment, interaction with acute sites, administration support and engagement in CPD. The role of the physiotherapist in the context of the broader multidisciplinary team also emerged as a theme, as well as the balance between the generalist versus specialist role of the physiotherapist in the primary care setting. ConclusionsConsiderable variation exists in the provision of physiotherapy, and CPD opportunities and support across primary care sites. Future research should focus on pragmatic methods to optimise service delivery and patient care in this setting.

Staff development for raising attainment: a practitioner's view of what works

ABSTRACTThis paper offers a practitioner's view of how continuing professional development (CPD) can help raise achievement in schools. It is one of four papers in this issue linked to a research project in Stoke-on-Trent seeking to raise attainment in schools in deprived communicates. Based on over 20 years’ experience working in and with different schools in the UK, this paper frames a head teacher's perspective, outlining seven strategies she believes are key to improving school performance. These strategies are providing CPD opportunities to all staff rather than just those involved in teaching, planning CPD activities in the light of school development priorities, mentoring and coaching between staff, forming inter-school networks and partnerships, team teaching, peer review and continual assessment of CPD impact.

The Integration of New Media in Schools: Comparing Policy with Practice

&lt;p class="apa"&gt;Beyond policy, this paper investigates the actual practice related to the integration of new media in schools. Despite continuous government effort to integrate new media in schools, the use of digital technologies for teaching and learning in the classroom remains limited. This study suggests that, apart from the issue related to the state of technological infrastructure, other related factors, including school’s leadership and policy, and teachers’ attitude and knowledge of new media, can also influence the integration of digital technologies into the classroom. Hence, it is important for schools to develop a comprehensive policy of new media, to ensure that the technological infrastructure is carefully managed and maintained. Schools also should provide teachers with continuous professional development opportunities, to ensure that their knowledge and skills of new media remain relevant in the constantly changing digital environment.&lt;/p&gt;

Level of Inhibition in Trained Secondary School Teachers: Evidence from Pakistan

The study found that the inhibition amongst trained secondary school teachers in using learned teaching methodologies is caused due to the lack of content knowledge, insufficient support from the administration, scarce continuous professional development opportunities, unsupportive environment, large class size, in-efficiency to integrate technology, inadequate post-training support and lack of motivation. The study also concluded that teaching inhibition is not possible to be controlled by virtue of teacher’s training skills only. This study recommends that trained teachers be permitted to experiment within their permissible limits to try new teaching methodologies under supervised conditions and reflect upon them intermittently. Continuous support of the school administration is the key to successfully implementing the newly-acquired pedagogic and scholastic skills for an educational institution to improve its teacher education programme.

Career Development in African Librarianship

African librarians need to embrace enormous changes in technology and in social and economic circumstances during the course of their careers, but the methods that the profession should use to renew itself are not clear. At present the emphasis is on the possession of diplomas and degrees, but there is no special reason to believe that adding a second (master’s) degree to a bachelor’s in LIS appreciably increases the professional expertise of an individual library worker. Furthermore, the PhD (now increasingly sought) is a research degree and of debatable relevance for most kinds of higher library posts. It is argued in this paper that continuing professional development (CPD) is more capable of delivering the necessary new skills and professional orientation. The profession, through its library associations, needs to discuss the problems of career development with policymakers; persuade employers to modify their qualification-based appointment and promotion requirements; and encourage and support professional associations in providing more CPD opportunities.

Who says academics don’t do CPD? Connecting practitioners and developing together through distributed cross-institutional collaborative CPD in the open

In this paper, the author shares an emerging model to engage academics and other professionals who teach or support learning in Higher Education (HE) with continuing professional development (CPD). The model fosters informal cross-institutional collaboration through distributed and diverse communities of professionals for them to learn and develop with and from each other. A potpourri of pedagogical initiatives developed and offered as open educational practices and resources interwoven into each other using social media has been included. These illuminate opportunities for cross-institutional and cross-cultural CPD, highlight challenges as well as invite further exploration and research in this area. Initial evidence indicates that open practices are changing the academic development landscape, and informal cross-institutional collaborations among HE Institutions and other partners can provide valuable opportunities for self-organised informal and formal academic CPD that strengthens relationships internally and externally and has an impact on practices and the student experience.

Preparing school leaders

In Hong Kong, there is an acute need to provide newly appointed principals with opportunities for continuous professional development so that they could face the impact of reforms and globalization on school development. The Education Bureau has commissioned the tertiary institutions to provide structured professional development courses to cater for the needs of aspiring, newly appointed and serving principals for leadership development. This paper aims to report on an exploratory qualitative study regarding the perception of 32 newly appointed principals from secondary schools on (a) their role as a new principal and (b) their needs and expectations on the school leadership development programme so that contents of existing development programmes could be improved to meet their needs. Findings demonstrated that the newly appointed principals expected to be equipped with the administrative skills of human resources management such as empowering middle leaders and handing underperforming staff; the practical technique of financial management; the skills of dealing with legal matters regarding school management and the capacities of curriculum and instructional leadership. In addition, they attributed networking with peers and working with mentors as invaluable experience and support for their early years’ principalship.

Psychiatrists acting as expert witnesses – are they confident?

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to ascertain the current competencies and training needs for being an expert witness of trainees (CT3, ST4-6) and career grade psychiatrists (consultants and staff grade, associate specialist and specialty doctors) in a UK health and well-being Trust. Design/methodology/approach – This was completed through an online survey, developed by the authors, of all career grade and trainee psychiatrists within the Trust. Findings – Only 9 per cent of respondents reported that they felt they had adequate training to feel competent as an expert witness. Despite low levels of training and confidence, 73 per cent of respondents had written an expert report. As well as shortage of training opportunities for psychiatrics acting as expert witnesses, the findings indicated increasing fear of litigation and lack of direct experience of court proceedings during training. Practical implications – Doctors need to be offered formal training opportunities including simulated training, ideally organised within Trust, Continuing Professional Development (CPD) committees or Education committees. Implementation of the RCPsych report guidance into speciality curricula and CPD opportunities for doctors would ensure a robust curriculum-based delivery of these essential skills. Originality/value – A wealth of guidance is available for expert witnesses, but no previous study had identified the specific training issues and overall confidence in competency to act as an expert witness amongst psychiatrists. It will be valuable to all psychiatrists involved in court work and organisations involved in training psychiatrists, especially in light of recent relevant court cases and removal of expert witness immunity.

The Perceptions of Ontario Radiation Therapists and Their Managers Regarding Continuing Professional Development

Continuing professional development (CPD) is essential to maintaining a knowledgeable health care work force. Studies of many health care professionals link CPD to competence, motivation, and job satisfaction. There is little information about CPD in the field of radiation therapy. In addition, staff views on CPD have been well researched, but there is a lack of literature looking at the opinions of managers. This study examined the following questions: (1) Is there a disparity between the views of radiation therapists and their managers concerning support for continuing professional development? (2) Where does the responsibility for continuing professional development lie? (3) Are radiation therapists aware of the availability of support within their department? and (4) Is there a difference between the academic (university affiliated) versus nonacademic centres? A self-administered electronic questionnaire was sent to 14 Ontario cancer centres. Of the 700 radiation therapists surveyed, there were 161 completed e-mail replies, giving a total response rate of approximately 23%. The final number of respondents in the management category was 25. Results showed that although more radiation therapists than managers felt that the organization should be responsible for providing opportunities for CPD, more managers than radiation therapists felt that the organization did indeed provide time off to support CPD. An additional discovery in the area of organizational responsibility is that, although the nonmanagement staff results were similar in both the academic and nonacademic settings, the management results differed significantly. Conclusions and recommendations indicate the need to expand the definition of CPD, implement more transparent CPD policies and application processes, increase communication between managers and staff, and investigate the need for radiation therapist-specific research on clinical competence.