This paper draws upon research undertaken in nine higher education institutions for a doctoral thesis. The qualitative study used repertory grids and semi-structured interviews with nine course leaders to investigate models of professional development that underpin courses for new teachers in higher education. While evidence of good levels of tacit knowledge about models of professional development was found, a lack of a shared language and explicit knowledge of models of professional development for new teachers was noted. Four significant themes emerge of which two are explored here: what drives development, internal change or changes in practice; and the extent to which each model encourages thought processes to be made explicit or implicit.