Innovating professional development in compulsory education : an analysis of practices aimed at improving teaching and learning

This report comprises the key outcomes and final analysis of the study Innovating Professional Development in Compulsory Education. It aims to help education authorities face the challenges of meeting the professional development needs of tomorrow's teachers in Europe and elsewhere. This report focuses on innovative and emergent practices of teacher Continuous Professional Development (CPD) and professional learning by teaching professionals who work in compulsory education. The first part of the study gathered an inventory of 30 examples illustrating new and innovative models and practices that have emerged to overcome the known barriers and limitations that teachers say hinder them today from participating in CPD. An accompanying Technical Report looks at their key elements and uses seven labels to describe and analyse the broad areas in which innovation currently takes place (Vuorikari, 2018). The labels are not categorical, and many of the examples feature many of them. This report further analyses the inventory of models and practices focusing on their innovative aspects. The 30 examples were classified according to their type of innovation representing product innovation as well as process, organisational and marketing innovation allowing for a discussion on the innovative aspects of the emergent practices in teacher professional development and professional learning. The key outcomes of the study are discussed in a cross-case analysis with the help of the above-mentioned seven broad areas. Lastly, together with providing conclusions, a number of policy pointers are given in order to better inspire and support those who plan and design policies and provision of teacher professional development and professional learning.