Quick NO.7 13 Summer 2009-2010

Personalising teacher professional develop­ment: strategies enabling effective learning for educators of 21 st century students

Joseph Perkins

Abstract In the Knowledge Society, /Jew demands are placed all teachers as they strive to empower yOllllg people to be global citizens, ready for the 21St cel/tury. Systemic shifts Ileed to be made, however, to build capacity across tlte workforce to practice new ways of teaching and learning, including the persollfilisation of teacher professional development. This article argiles /lew strategies and approaches for effective adult learning, ineludillg all individualised focus, context-based learnillg alld {/II empower­ment of teachers to develop their own personallearnillg networks. 'J1Jis article concludes with an analysis of the chal­lenges facing professional development leaders in moving towards personalised teacher leaTllillg.

introduction Globalisation, the redefinition and expansion of knowledge, technological advances and ways in which organisa­tions and institutions operate have forever altered the world of work, with the field of teaching no exception (Patton, 2009). The two primary sources propelling the Knowledge Society remain strong: technological develop­ment promoting the sharing and social construction of knowledge through global networks and an economic system in which knowledge functions as a commodity (Anderson, 2008). Born out of this redefinition of knowledge has come the need to reconsider not only the skills and abilities we teach our students, but also, the role of the teacher

in 21st century schooling. Teachers are no longer the guardians of knowledge for their students. Teachers are no longer able to ignore digital technologies and the role they play in empowering learners. Teachers are no longer able to 'get by' with the skills and knowledge they graduated from teacher's college with. Indeed, Patton (2009) uses the phrase 'all terrain vehicle' to describe the role of all workers in the 21st century, who need to be fast, flexible, self-direct­ing and creative. Yet, the gap between current and desired teacher professional practice remains significant. While there has been no shortage in professional development in itiatives which look to enhance teacher professional practice in line with 21st century schooling, many schools and broader organisations are still seeking long-term, systemic change. The ineffective professional development opportunities offered to teachers need to be replaced with effective ones - where new learning can be implemented, sustained and can genuinely enhance student learning outcomes. [t is, therefore, important to first understand how adult learners learn and to identify the ineffective methods of the past.

Redefining adu1t learning 'Nothing has promised so much alld I/{Is been so jrl/stmtillgly wasteflll as t"e thol/sands of workshops and conferellces that led to 110 significant challge ill practice'

Fill/an, 1991 Research into adult learning theory

suggests that adult learners are generally

autonomous and self-directed, goal-ori­entated, relevancy-orientated, practical and seek recognition and respect for their prior experiences and knowledge (Knowles, 1973, cited in Tafel, 2008, p. 25). Yet, so much of the professional development we offer to our educators is generic, where teachers are herded into small rooms to learn on demand, removed from classroom contexts, viewed as having deficits and are therefore 'up-skilled' in institutionally­defined key areas (Tafel, 2008, p.24). Another common mode of professional development is the weekly or fortnightly 'after-school' session. where professional development - defined by the school's aclministration- is 'delivered' with little regard for personal needs or interests and with no on-going support to ensure application back in the classroom. Futlan et. a1. (2006, as cited in Borthwick and Risberg, 2008, P.46), as will now be discussed in depth, look to address some of these failings by offering a platform for effective teacher professional learning based on three core compo­nents: pcrsonalisation, where instruction differs for each individual; precision, where formative assessment is used to inform and guide instruction; and continuing professional learning, where learning happens daily and is fostered by an established learning network.

Individual (ocus through assessment and goal setting a system ill which every [learner) //Iatters; careflll attention is paid to their i/ldividua//eaming styles, motivations

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and needs; there is rigorous use of pupil target setting linked to high qualify formative assessment and marking; lessons are well paced and enjoyable; and pupils are supported by partllersllips witll others beyond the classroom'

Miliballd,2004 While the above quote by David

Miliband, former UK Minister of State for School Standards, was directed at teachers in developing personalised learning for their students, it is valuable to consider it in the context of adult learning. Delahaye (2005) discusses adult learning in a small business context, where engagement is the first step in the learning process. He asserts that, si milarly to Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development, there needs to be a 'read iness' and degree of relevancy to learn and that new knowledge needs to closely aligned to the individual's current understanding (Delahaye, 2005). Fullan (2006) puts it more bluntly, stating that until professional learning opportunities 'motivate people to put in the effort - individually and collec­tively - that is necessary to get results, improvement is not possible: In other words, we need to turn the 'push', where administrators and leaders continually need to promote and encourage partici­pation in professional renewal, into a 'pull', where teachers arc intrinsically motivated to participate in the learning opportunity and are the ones who drive the change agenda. This posits a fundamen tal question: what professional development do schools and organisa­tions offer teachers - mandated or otherwise - with no regard for teachers' personal 'readiness: motivation, learning styles, needs or interests?

The UK Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) offers a framework for personalising student learning (2009) which includes elements of formative assessment and goal setting and tracking. While the intent of this framework was for teachers to consider personalised learning for their students, much is applicable for designers of professional development when consid­ering adult learning.

The importance of fo rmative assessment and data collection is frequently recognised in contemporary discussion of adult learning, where

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professional developers need to become 'data specialists' collecting, analysing and using data about learners to ensure a good chance of success (Tafel, 2008, p. 30) . The DCSF (2009) publication also recognises this, where 'every period of learning should be based on the extent of relevant prior learning, and through­out the learning process active assess­ment is required to ensure that the expected progress is being made'. Further, for true individualised learning, adult learners themselves need to understand how they are doing, includ~ ing what they are doing well, and what they need to do to make progress (DCSF, 2009). This process is assisted by an established benchmark of desired profeSSional practice, with indicators or standards dearly outlining what this would look like in practice. Examples of this when considering the development of digital pedagogy include the Queens­land Government's Smart Classrooms Professional Development Framework (2009a) or the International Society for Technology in Education's National Education Standardsfor Teachers (2008). However, it is not enough just identify­ing these areas for professional improve­ment, as individualised goals need to be set to frame and focus personalised learning.

ing resources, and peer I instructional coaching. Yet, as will now be discussed, this personalised, data-driven learning is still ineffective ifit takes place away from teachers' day-to-day context.

Contextual learning through peer and instructional coaching 'Schools can 110 longer afford the luxury of separating professiollal development activities from the oll-goillg realiries of teachers' work alld tllcir workplace. 11lc two must be secn as integrated and interdependent to support teacher and school challge and ongoing improvement efforts:

Johnson & Johnson, 1994 For professional learning to be

successful, it needs to primarily on-site, intensive, on-going, job-embedded and led by fellow educators who model best~practice (Wagner et. ai, 2006 as cited in Borthwick and Risberg, 2008, p.40). While conferences and workshops may be beneficial fo r peer networking and for the dissemi nation of ideas, for transformative learning to occur, where teachers significantly enhance their professional practice for the long term, teachers need profeSSional development embedded in their day-to-day practice. One strategy to enable this is through peer and instructional coaching.

The importance of formative assessment and data collection is frequently recognised in contemporary discussion of adult learning

The formulation of personalised goals includes a gap analysis and a personal evaluation and judgement of, as Delahaye (2005) states, 'how far the learning has to go: As identified in the Queensland Government's Performance Development Framework (2009b), this goal setting could form the basis of individual performance development plans for teachers. These goals, particu­larly when shared by teachers within a professional learning community, dearly identify the focus areas for instruction. This is key data for the professional development leader, who then looks to find opportunities for collaboration around 'common' areas and can faci litate personalised learning through scaffold-

Peer coaching was first proposed in the 1970S as a strategy in response to research which showed that teachers were only implementing ten percent of what the learned through professional development (Joyce and Showers, 1996). Prior to this, the assumption was that teachers could attend off-site profes­sional development, return to school and implement their new learning smoothly and effectively. Generally, models of peer coaching focus on peer partnerships which foster reciprocal learning in a safe, non-judgemental environment. Made up of a pre-confer­ence, in-context classroom observation and post-conference, peer coaching sessions do not require any particular

expertise (apart from knowledge of the peer coach ing process) (Dalton and Anderson, 2009), and, as the 'inviting teacher' steers the process, is designed to be non~ threatening (Robbins, 2009). While research has shown peer coaching to be an effective strategy for imple­menting off-site learning, instructional coaching brings the learning into teachers' every day practice.

While the role of the instructional coach can differ in particular contexts, essentially they work coUaboratively with teachers, particularly in groups or across a school, to offer 'expert' knowl­edge, guidance and modelling to develop professional capacity (Knight, 2008). A typical model of development for an instructional coach may involve an in -context modelling of particular practice, followed by team -teaching with the classroom teacher, followed by observations of the classroom teacher with post-conference feedback. While research has also shown instructional coaching to be effective in long-term enhancement of teacher practice, it is generally only effective if the school culture provides a 'hospitable environ­ment' fo r these types of interactions (Robbins, 2009). While the benefits of both peer and instructional coaching are, of course, the in-context learning, both approaches ensure the professional development experience is personalised and relevant for individual teachers. Yet, while peer and instructional coaching call develop teacher professional practice, tcachers themselves need to be empowered 1'0 enhance their own professional knowledge around key areas relevant for teaching in the 21st century.

Empowering teachers through Personal Learning Networks 'If teachers are going to help students to develop the skills and competencies of knowledge-creation, teachers /leed experience themselves in building professional knowledge.'

Full(w, 2006

As prefaced in the introduction of this article, traditional understandings of 'knowledge' have significantly shifted in recent years, particularly with regard to who- or what - 'holds' it. Just as classroom teachers arc no longer the

guardians of information for their students, professional development leaders are no longer the sole messen­gers of new ideas and practices. In his Connectivist learning theory, Siemens (:w08) argues that learning happens through a knowledge network, where learners access 'nodes' of information and develop understanding th rough recognising patterns and authenticating sources. Teachers need to be empm\'ered to take charge of their professional learning by using digital technologies to develop their own professional learning networks (PLNs) to best personalise their learning for their own context.

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their personalised needs and interests, they are empowered to take charge of their own professional learning, not limited to the workshops or conferences they can attend nor to the 'priorities' set for them by a school or department.

ChaUenges to implementing personal­ised learning for teachers If one-size-fits-alliearning isn't good enough for our students, why is it good enough for our teachers? We are all professional educators, it's about time we start being professional learn-ers - intensely crit ical of the profes­sional development we participate in

Develop a Personal Learning Network (Warlick, 2009)

The above diagram gives an overview of a networked leaner utilising a PLN, where many local and global colleagues, through both synchronous and asyn­chronous connections and th rough many digital te<:hnologies including blogs, instant messagi ng, web confer­ences, Twitter and email, communicate and collaborate around key areas. It is this on-gOing, 'anywhere, anyti me' professional learning, particularly when teachers are engaging with their PLN and contributing back 10 their network, which can sustain innovative practices through connections made with like-minded colleagues. As individual teachers create their own PLN based on

and condone. The firs t step in develop­ing this critical analysis of teacher professional development, however, is to break down the commonly established culture in schools - fostered by both teachers and administrators - that effective professional learn ing only happens when teachers are sent away to a particular place at a particular time to get 'pee-deed'. Indeed, one of the staples of traditional teacher professional development - the conference - needs some critical analysis. While valuable in terms of peer networking and sharing of innovation, the typical conference format, with keynote addresses and 'break-out' sessions, needs to be criti·

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Quick No. 713 Summer 2009 - 2010

cally considered and evaluated for genuine, long~term teacher pedagogical benefits. Only recently through the development of'back channelling' using web services such as Twitter have the lecture components of these conferences become more interactive - transforming passive listencrs into active, collaborative learners. Similarly, fatal flaws exist in the format of some external workshops, with no allowance for the exploration of depth of content, disregard for teachers' prior knowledge and experience, no opportunity for participant-generated tasks, poor or no reflective or planning components and little consideration fo r implementation back in a classroom contex\. Developing a culture in schools which is critical of professional develop­ment opportunities is essential in moving towards effective, personalised [earning for teachers.

Thankfully, these deficiencies in teacher professional development opportunities have been recognised in educational organisations including by the Queensland Department of Educa­tion and Training with publications including Developing Performance Framework (Queensland Government, 2009b) and Standards for professional development (Queensland Government, 2009C), providing a framework for professional developers to plan for effective teacher education and for teachers themselves to critically rcflect on their learning in consultation with their line-managers. With supporting frameworks and tools such as these, individual teachers can begin asking questions like:

How do I learn?; What's my learning style?; What's the next step in my learning

journey?; What support do I need to build my

capacity in this area?; and, What on-going support do I need to

ensure this learning becomes embedded in my day-to-day practice?

[t is then up to professional develop­ers to use this information to design standards-aligned opportunities which cater to the personal needs of participant teachers.

Conclusion Mishra and Koehler (2006) posit, as part

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ofthei T discussion of their Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge framework, that the exponential developmcnt of digital technology means that teaching and learning 'best practice' will continue to evolve and be refined. This is a fundamental challenge facing 21St century educators, where effective professional development will be essential in ensuring the relevancy of teachers and contemporary schooling and thc ability of our institutions to best prepare students for the future. No longer can we waste time and resources on ineffective professional development which is not personalised, contextual or able to empower teachers. School and organisational leaders need to play an important part in encouraging teacher participation in effective professional learning opportunities, while strategi­cally withdrawing support for others.

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Borthwick, A. & Risberg, C. (2008) Establishing an Organisational Climate for Successful Professional Develop­ment. In A. Borthwick & M. Pierson. Transforming Classroom Practice: ProfessionaI Development Strategies ill Education Technology. ISTE: Washing­ton.

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Robbins, P. (zo08) How to Plm! and Implement a Peer Canchi/!g Program. Retrieved November 11, 2009, from http://w ... vw.mdecgateway.orgJolrns/data/ resource!50z2/How%20to%2oPlan%2o and%20ImpJement%10a%10Peer%20 Coaching%20Program.doc

Showers, B. & Joyce, B (1996) The evolution of peer coaching. Retrieved November 10, 2009, from http://web. ebscohost.com .ezpo I .I ibrary.q ut.edu.aul ehostl pdf?vid= l &hid=i06&sid=d4ee5a20~ 9c8c-4e8b-acoo-159095aa5aea %40Sessionmgn 11

Siemens, G. (1008) Learning and Knowing in Nehvorks: Changing roles

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for Educators and Designers. Retrieved November lZ, Z009, from http://w\ITw. tskills. it/userfiles/Siemens. pdf

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Warlick, D. (2009). Grow Your Personal Learnillg Network: New Technologies Can Keep You Connected and Help You Manage Information Overload. Retrieved November 9, 1009, from http://landmark-project.com/work -shops/handouts/gypln~ll.pdf

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