If increased student learning is the goal of professional development then consistent and generalized transfer of the new learning to the student learning environment is necessary. In the 25 years of research conducted by Bruce Joyce and Beverly Showers the component that had the greatest impact on successful transfer was a system of collaborative implementation teams. Regardless of how good the initial training was, transfer rarely happened without some kind of long-term coaching and staff collaboration. The resulting change wasn’t sustained without the ongoing support of leadership and the alignment of systems within the organization. (more…)
It is remarkably easy to waste time and money on professional development that produces no real change. The opportunities to attend interesting and exciting events are everywhere. The edu-tainment industry is big business and can send everyone home well-fed, significantly dazzled and at least temporarily motivated. Yet the data on transfer of new knowledge from training to the learning environment remains poor and, as resources diminish, cost-effectiveness becomes increasingly more critical.
It turns out that ensuring positive outcomes from professional development, especially transfer of new knowledge and skills into the classroom, is not easy. Research has been conducted on the outcomes of professional development for more than 20 years and the results are quite discouraging. Are we wasting our money?
Mailing Address: PO Box 285, Montpelier, VT 05601
Phone: (802) 498-3350
Email: [email protected]