Continuing Professional Development in Scotland

1. Continuing Professional Development in Scotland George Hunt Moray House School of Education University of Edinburgh george.hunt@ed.ac.uk

2. Before the 1990s • Expectation that teachers would engage in CPD. • No formal obligation. • Accredited courses run by colleges and professional bodies. • Informal courses run by Local Education Authorities.

3. Funding before the 1990s • Direct grants to Teacher Training Colleges and Local Education Authorities from central government. • No costs to teachers.

4. During the 1990s • Accountability and free market agendas. • Money to colleges cut; money granted directly to LEAs, later directly to schools. • LEAs and schools can now buy CPD from anybody they choose.

5. Consequences • Colleges had to charge teachers for accredited CPD courses, so fewer teachers took them. • Variety of providers entered the market, so quality control became difficult. • Not all of increased LEA funding was spent on improving CPD. • Poorer relations between colleges and LEAs.

6. McCrone Agreement 2000 • Entitlement / obligation to 35 hours CPD per year, with time provided in teachers’ schedules. • Strong emphasis on the chartered teacher: promotion through excellent, reflective classroom practice, accredited by universities at master’s level. • Retention of a diversity of CPD providers.

7. The Chartered Teacher / Master of Teaching • Masters level course of 12 modules. • Normally 6 years to complete. • All teachers at top of salary scale (5 years experience) can apply. • Practically based but theoretically grounded.

8. Components • Self evaluation; learning and teaching; education for all; working together. • Professional commitments, knowledge, attributes and action.

9. Financial aspects • Teacher must pay fees (currently £750 per course). • Some grants available. • Guaranteed salary rise as modules are completed (c £7000 at graduation).

10. Good points • Higher status and better pay for good classroom teachers (not just managers). • Recognises good teaching needs to be informed by theoretical reflection.

11. Problems • Benefits the individual teacher, not necessarily the school. • Status of prior learning and experience problematical. • Time, costs and motivation, especially for older teachers (N.B. 10% uptake). • Effects on other CPD programmes.

12. Other forms of CPD • Other modular Masters degrees. • Probationary year entitlement. • Scottish Qualification for Headship. • Certificates of recognition from GTC for evidence backed projects. • Miscellaneous courses and conferences (quality control issues remain).

13. Future directions • Chartered teacher programmes under review. • New patterns of co-operation. • New attitudes towards change.