This document discusses factors that influence teachers' perceptions of professional development programs and the impact of school learning culture on teacher professional learning. It addresses three key issues: 1) factors that influence how teachers view PD programs, including characteristics of the programs and individual teachers, 2) improving evaluation of PD programs so they can effectively support development, and 3) how school learning culture, such as collaboration and feedback, affects teacher learning. The document emphasizes that evaluation of PD programs should collect data on teaching and learning to both improve programs and assess their impact on instruction and student achievement.

1. Towards an Effective
Teachers’ Professional Learning
Ayman Hefnawi
8th International Conference on Learning, Education and Pedagogy (LEAP)
18-19 December 2016, Dubai
aymhef@yahoo.com

2. - John Cotton Dana
“Who dares to teach must never cease to learn”
Visionary modernist and librarian theorist

3. Teacher Professional Learning (Key Issues):
• Factors that influence teachers’ perceptions of PD programmes
• Improving the evaluation of PD programmes to act as an effective
development tool
• Impact of school learning culture on teacher professional learning

4. FactorsThat Influence Teachers’ Perceptions of PD Programmes:
The PD Activities
TheWhole School Level
The IndividualTeacher
• Options are available
• Applicable to school practice
• Related to teachers’ professional learning needs
• Prior Knowledge and experience
• Teacher’s beliefs about learning
• Will to learn
• Teaching & learning context
• Collective beliefs about learning
• Common norms of practice
• Collaboration of school learning goals

5. Impact of Schools Learning Culture onTeacher
Professional Learning:
− Collaboration (observation, co-teaching, …)
− Feedback exchange
− Role of school leaders in teachers’ PD
− Implementing new teaching strategies (risk-taking)
− Incorporating successful practices on an entire school level

6. Improving the Evaluation of PD programmes
to act as an Effective DevelopmentTool:
1) Collecting data about teachers’ performance
and students’ learning.
2) Creating a clear vision within the school about the
expected teaching and learning standards.
3) Evaluating the teachers’ performance and students’
achievements in the light of the expected standards.
(Earley and Porritt, 2014)

7. • Meeting teachers’ and students’ learning needs
Key Benefits of That Strategy:
• An effective Evaluation for the PD program.
Formative
Finding out ways to
improve the program
itself
Summative
Its impact on teachers’
instruction and students’
learning

8. Conclusion
• School learning culture influence teachers’
professional learning in different ways.
• The evaluation process of PD programmes should be
employed to act as an effective development tool.
• School leaders can, and should, build and develop
learning cultures that facilitate learning.

9. Q & A
Thank you for coming

10. References:
• Earley, P. and Porritt,V., 2014. Evaluating the impact of professional development: the need for a
student-focused approach. Professional Development in Education, 40(1), pp. 112-129.
• Harris,A., Day, C., Goodall, J., Lindsay, G. and Muijs, D., 2006.What difference does it make?
Evaluating the impact of continuing professional development in schools. Scottish Educational
Review, 37(1), pp. 91-99.
• Kaplan, L.S. and Owings, W.A., 2013. Culture Re-Boot: Reinvigorating School Culture to Improve
Student Outcomes.Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications.
• Opfer,V.D. and Pedder, D., 2011. Conceptualizing Teacher Professional Learning. Review of
Educational Research, 81(3), pp. 376-407.
• Walker, A., 2010. Building and Leading Learning Cultures In:T. Bush, L. Bell and D. Middlewood,
eds.The principles of educational leadership and management. 2nd ed. Los Angeles: SAGE,
pp.176-196.