1 hour

These questions are a starting point for analysis and, later, for evaluation. These questions are designed to help all stakeholders involved in TPD (providers/facilitators and receivers/participants) to examine their TPD practice in relation to equity in their particular context. All participants in TPD can use these questions – they are not just for administrators, leaders or managers. Teachers might not be used to using questions such as these, but the questions can help teachers to feel empowered and motivated as professionals to engage in their professional learning and take action for change.   

The questions do not necessarily all apply to all contexts. They are not a definitive list – they are prompts..  As you read, there will probably be additional, different questions you would ask about your specific context for TPD. You may find some of the questions are more relevant to your context than others. 

Uncertain or negative responses to the questions may indicate absent TPD, neglected opportunities, or ineffective TPD. Positive responses may indicate that development in that area is sound and effective.

If you are working through this course on your own, you might find it useful to discuss the questions with a colleague. 

If you are working through the course in a group, share out the questions, then come back together to discuss your responses.  

Given the interconnectivity of the interpersonal, intrapersonal and institution planes, you will see that effective and scalable TPD requires collaborative thinking and team-working.

TPD analysis

This set of questions is adapted from the Briefing Paper (2022) The evaluation of ‘equity’ within TPD@scale (992.0 KB) which you can find in the Resources section. 

As you work through these questions, you can, draw on your knowledge of a school or schools in your context. You can think about teachers and schools in different geographical areas,  of different sizes, and in different types of communities, and in contexts where there may be conflict, or health and safety issues. 

When you have completed these questions, review your notes. What are your key findings or insights? Write the most important things you feel you learned from this exercise, and what this means in terms of TPD in your context. You can use your Personal Blog to record your ideas. 

As you work through the questions, can you spot which questions are intrapersonal, which are interpersonal, and which are institutional?

1. Is TPD available to all teachers regardless of position/status/seniority in the school? If not, why is this, and how can this be overcome?
2. Are these opportunities represented by a range of formal and informal, top-down and bottom-up activities?  If not, what is the justification for a narrow range of opportunities?
3. Are teachers consulted about their own TPD needs?  If they are not, why is this and is there a means for their voice to be heard and acted on? 
4. Is TPD differentiated, or are all teachers expected to take the same TPD regardless of their years of experience, their languages, their students and community contexts?
5. Does TPD involve any uses of ICTs? If so, what are these and how are they used? Are the ICTs familiar to teachers in their personal or professional lives? 
6. Do teachers identify what they would like to change in their  practice and share this with colleagues?  If not, is this because collaboration is not an expectation?
7. How do senior leaders in school, districts, and communities learn about what teachers do in TPD activities? 
8. How do education leaders identify what changes are needed and how do they support TPD to improve practice?
9. Is there a common understanding of what characterises effective TPD?  If not, can school staff and also municipal/national policy-makers, arrive at a shared understanding and definition?
10. How inclusive are the TPD data? Are there data relating to all teachers, including those with disabilities, language or ethnic minority groups, or migrant groups? 
11. How does teachers’ learning from professional development manifest itself in their beliefs and actions? 
12. How do teachers evaluate their own practice and what criteria do they use?

Click to reveal a discussion.