Telling the PD Travel Story Part 2

The second chapter of our PD story is one that as a sector we have made good strides in recently thanks to the publication of high-profile documents like the DFE CPD standards (2016) and the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) report on effective PD (2021). I would not even begin to try to add to that knowledge base in a post this short so if you have not yet read and re-read the EEF report I would definitely recommend it as a good starting point. The big takeaway for me in relation to this post and the design chapter of our PD story is the need for balanced PD that utilises a variety of mechanisms and takes a long-term view of development. Below is an adapted image representing the different mechanisms of effective PD and the consequences of an unbalanced or balanced PD programme.   #

Adapted from EEF (2021)

Delivery

Unfortunately, great PD design does not guarantee great impact and those delivering PD hold in their hands the power to realise the design’s potential or ruin it through ineffective practices. This is of course infinitely complex and as with the design chapter, this post could not possibly cover even a fraction of that complexity. One area that is however often overlooked and worth a closer inspection is the field of andragogy. We are all familiar with the word pedagogy and the words are indeed similar and share the same root—gogy—a Greek word for ‘leading / teaching / instruction’. The difference lies in the initial part of the words where ‘Peda’ translates as child, making pedagogy the art and science of teaching children (Simpson & Weiner, 1989) and ‘Andra’ being a form of the word adult and thus, andragogy literally means the art and science of teaching adults.  

Malcolm Knowles was a key researcher in the field of andragogy and his ‘andragogical assumptions’ have been the foundation of a lot of the work in this area. Knowle’s work is not without its critics but still represents a great starting point for those wishing to understand how their work as PD leaders and deliverers potentially differs from the work they do in their classrooms. Below is a brief introduction to each assumption and a range of questions for PD leaders. 

Adults are self-directed learners. 

As a person matures, they typically move from dependent to self-directed and often need to consciously decide to be learners. It is therefore important to recognise this and involve them as PD partners, tapping into and developing self-awareness and self-directedness. 

• How much involvement do adult learners have in the design of their professional development?  

• How much choice exists for adult learners within their professional development?  

• What self-study materials do adult learners have access to?  

Adults have a wealth of experience.  

As a person matures, he/she accumulates experience that becomes increasingly used for learning and as a lever for engagement. It is therefore important to recognise this experience and actively seek to utilise it during activities. 

• How do you assess/understand levels of experience for your adult learners?  

• How do you link session content to that experience?  

• How do you facilitate the sharing of experience between adult learners?  

Adults must be ready to learn.  

As a person matures his/her readiness to learn becomes increasingly orientated to their roles and they demand more personal relevance in their PD. It is therefore important to accurately select participants and clearly communicate the why behind each activity. 

• How do you identify/understand the role-specific demands of your adult learners?  

• How do you ensure the highest levels of relevance within the training content?  

• How do you communicate the importance of training content and specific activities?  

Adults seek learning that is immediately applicable.  

As a person matures, they increasingly seek knowledge and skills that will improve their immediate performance. It is therefore important to recognise the importance of context, real-life scenarios and guiding learners to reflect on their personal application of new knowledge and skills. 

• How do you identify/understand the current challenges of your adult learners?  

• How do you break training down into easily applicable chunks?  

• How do you make training contextually specific?  

Adults are more intrinsically motivated.  

As a person matures the motivation to learn becomes more internal and they increasingly seek out the higher levels of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. It is therefore important that those teaching adults recognise the need for self-actualisation, personal growth, and fulfilment.  

• How do you identify/understand the needs and personal goals of your adult learners?  

• How do you facilitate the growth of intrinsic motivation?  

• How do you maintain motivation post-training  

Reflective Questions 

In the next two chapters we will acknowledge how little PD actually makes it into the classroom and how we can improve that and keep it there 

• 
  How many mechanisms does your PD typically have? 

• Which mechanisms are strongest, weakest, missing? 

• How does your PD delivery compare to your classroom teaching? 

• What core T&L principles do you include / ignore? 

• How do you tailor your PD delivery to adults?