Continuing professional development

Network 1 was established to contribute to the field of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) and to provide an opportunity for scholarly discussion and a forum for the dissemination of research.  The network focuses on the following:

• ways in which teachers, head teachers, and other leaders in schools and school systems learn and develop throughout their professional career 
• issues they face throughout their professional career
• organisational, historical, situational, and policy contexts in which their learning and development occurs
• knowledge that contributes to their understanding and betterment
• new developments and trends within the field of continuing professional development and 
• conditions and practices that improve and encourage professional development

Network 1 concentrates on the learning and development of practitioners who already have a post in schools or school systems.  Their continuing professional development may occur in schools or elsewhere.  Recent areas of interest, for example, have included mentoring, teacher knowledge, teacher identity and beliefs, collegial relationships, professional learning communities, school development, teacher leadership, school culture, learning from research, school-university partnerships, “best practices” and trends in CPD, action research, emerging models of CPD, and improving conditions for practitioners’ learning.

CPD does not include the initial preparation of student teachers (see Network 10, Teacher Education Research) although, for example, a comparison of student teachers' initial perspectives on teaching and their perspectives as experienced teachers five years later would be appropriate.  Papers about teachers' or leaders' induction years and beyond are also appropriate.