New project exploring teachers’ experiences of Professional Update in Scotland
Published: 15 February 2024
Prof. Aileen Kennedy leads a SCEL Legacy-funded project, working with Debbie McLeod from the University of Strathclyde. The project, which will run for 13 months, is entitled ‘Using insight from teachers’ stories of Professional Update to enhance policy and practice’.
Aileen Kennedy is leading a SCEL Legacy funded project, working with Debbie McLeod from the University of Strathclyde (January 2024 – January 2025). The project, which is entitled ‘Using insight from teachers’ stories of Professional Update to enhance policy and practice’, seeks to understand the extent to which the Professional Update (PU) process supports teacher professional learning and leadership development.
Professional Update was introduced in 2014 and requires all teachers registered with the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS) to take responsibility for their own development needs, to engage in the Professional Review and Development process on an ongoing basis, to maintain a reflective record of their professional learning and its impact, and to have this process confirmed by their line manager on a 5-yearly basis. Since its inception the PU process has suffered from being positioned both as a means of externally-imposed accountability and of internally-driven improvement and development, and anecdotal views on its impact are mixed. This study therefore addresses the following research questions:
- How do reviewees and reviewers describe their engagement with the PU process?
- In what ways do reviewees and reviewers believe that engagement in the PU process supports professional learning and leadership development?
- Having considered the findings arising from research questions 1 and 2, what proposals do headteachers have for enhancing the PU process in their own establishments in the short to medium term?
- In light of the findings arising from research questions 1 and 2 above, together with their own experiences, what proposals do headteachers have for reform of PU policy in the medium to longer term?
The research team looks forward to working with GTCS partners to share and discuss findings with teachers and wider stakeholders as a means of influencing future policy developments that might enhance the possibilities of the Professional Update process.
First published: 15 February 2024