This article utilises complexity thinking to further develop a heuristic model for teacher professional growth as a continuous, recursive and adaptive process. Conversations with six case teachers are drawn upon in a phenomenographic study, seeking variation in ways of experiencing learning and development, together comprising professional growth.…

Surprisingly little has been written about the notion of virtual teams in schooling contexts and less on the role of virtual teams in the professional learning and development (PLD) of teachers. Virtual teams are groups that use technologies to collaborate to address common goals. Members may work at in different locations, in different…

Twenty-first century problems have forced international policymakers to consider how education might be reimagined so that citizens have the knowledge and skills to respond to the known and unknown challenges ahead and take an active role in the creation of future societies. While it has been suggested that problem-oriented curricular and…

Digital technologies provide opportunities for enhancing teaching, learning and teacher professional development (TPD). Some TPD courses can now be learned online and require trainees to conduct self-regulated learning (SRL). The revised Self-Regulated Learning Model (RSRLM) defines seven components of self-regulation: motivation, engagement,…

Professional development is an important part of creating a culture of continuous school improvement to maximize student learning. Rarely do we measure the impact of professional development on teacher learning, implementation and student outcomes. This study describes a professional development strategy for elementary teachers to promote…

Professional learning communities are receiving increasing attention within the schooling sector but empirical research into their development and use within early childhood education contexts is rare. This paper reports initial findings of an exploratory study into the development of professional learning communities in New Zealand's early…

Research on teacher professional development is extensive but there are fewer studies about the practitioners who facilitate professional development. Here we report on a pilot programme for professional development facilitators rooted in a cycle of action research. Informed by a categorisation of professional knowledge and skills of facilitators,…

Professional learning (PL) encompasses the complexity of teacher learning and teacher agency in the process of learning. This paper aims to shed light on this complexity and proffers a conceptual meta-model of PL grounded in pragmatism to inform action in the design and evaluation of PL. It will firstly explore the aim and implications of the…

This article reports on a study that investigates the possibilities of developing a professional learning model based on action research that could lead to sustained improvements in teaching and learning in schools in remote areas of Papua New Guinea. The issues related to the implementation of this model are discussed using a critical lens that…

Self-directed, informal learning is a less recognized and understood form of professional development. Researching informal learning is almost an oxymoron. The process of studying learning contexts, such as informal, self-directed professional development, raises new challenges for researchers. Gaining insights into self-directed professional…

This study describes the effect of embedding content in the Communication in Inquiry Science Project professional development model for science and language arts teachers. The model uses four components of successful professional development (content focus, active learning, extended duration, participation by teams of teachers from the same school…

Frameworks for professional learning offer models of progression that analyse and describe changes in learner behaviours and practices. This paper argues that frameworks for teacher professional learning offer theoretical models that can enhance teachers' agency in their own development. Teachers' use of two primary science frameworks are…

Although school and education system leaders can mandate teachers' participation in professional development activities, various school-related, teacher-related and student-related factors influence the degree to which professional development opportunities ultimately result in the desired teaching and learning impacts. This study examined…

Since the 1980s, research about technological integration in education has relied on models that position teachers as inherently anxious and/or resistant. These models posit that the key to successful preparation and development is helping teachers accept that they must abandon their concerns and use these technologies regardless of personal and…

This paper introduces an innovative clinical support and supervision project that has its origins in the concern for how senior school leaders are increasingly being expected to manage the escalating demand to care for pupils, families and often the wider community. In response to these pressures we offer a three-stage professional learning model…