Why Professional Development Often?Fails
Richard Andrew
? Maximising the Conversion of Ideas Into Long-Term Practice ? Collaborating with Schools, Consultants, Coaches & Subject-Matter Experts ? Raising Agency, Empowering Change ? Self-Reflective, Hybrid & Online CPD
As a teacher and Department Head, I attended countless PD sessions. Some were downright terrible. Many had potential but ultimately had no impact on my teaching—a total waste of time. But a few were exceptional, reshaping my entire approach to teaching.
For the past 15+ years, I've been on the other side, leading PD sessions. While the feedback was often glowing—"Thank you, my teaching world has changed!"—I knew that not every teacher experienced this level of impact.?
Time for a change ...
I was not having a big enough effect. Clearly, the structure I was using needed to change.
I’ve spent years exploring what makes some PD transformative and others a waste of time. The answer? It’s not just about what’s taught but how it’s embedded.
This is why my focus is now on partnering with schools to co-create long-term initiatives that truly engage teachers, foster collaboration, and lead to real, lasting changes in the classroom.
A quick Google search led me to an insightful article on David's Blog titled Why Professional Development Often Fails. It hit the nail on the head:
To change a habit, three things are crucial:
In short, if teachers don’t feel motivated or empowered, the new knowledge won’t stick—it’s just another PD session with zero impact.
Sound familiar?
Your Turn ...
What’s your experience with PD? What makes good PD work and bad PD fail? Let’s hear your thoughts!
Education Consultant | Coaching & Professional Development | Play Expert | Curriculum Developer
5 个月Agreed, true impact comes from partnering with schools to create long-term, collaborative initiatives that inspire and involve teachers for meaningful change.
Helping K-12 school leaders to improve the climate of their schools using the science of Self-Determination Theory.
5 个月From my perspective within the psychology of motivation your first two items may be redundant. The framework for my work is Self-Determination Theory which has shown that motivation is the result of how our needs for relatedness, autonomy, and competence are satisfied (or not) by the situation we are in.
IBDP Math Examiner. DP Math HL & TOK teacher. MYP & Cambridge Mathematics. Academic Workshops . Rajyoga practitioner. Math, ATL & ATT geek. Epistemology & Anthropology enthusiast.
5 个月To avoid these pitfalls, professional development should be: Relevant: Customized to the needs of both individuals and the organization. Engaging: Involve hands-on activities, discussions, and problem-solving. Supported: Encouraged by leadership with proper time and resource allocation. Sustained: Include follow-up, practice, and reflection opportunities. Evaluated: Assess impact through measurable outcomes and gather feedback for improvement.
Connecting the Dots Between Policy and Practice
5 个月We work at the intersection between knowledge and practice with our PD. It is not enough to ensure that teachers have access to new content and research - but they need support to translate that into the realities of their own unique contexts. Practice Based Coaching (PBC) is an effective model to ensure this translation - so that teachers are guided to bridge that knowledge-to-practice gap while navigating the complexity of their day to day classroom life and individual student needs. Too often teachers will say to me 'but how does it look' .... walking alongside teachers to help them 'see' the practical application of any new knowledge or information is critical to embed and sustain practice changes over time.