Improving Professional Learning through In-house Inquiry

David Middlewood is Research Fellow at the Centre for Educational Studies, University of Warwick, UK. He has published 17 books spanning people leadership and management (with Tony Bush), practitioner research and creating a learning school. Ian Abbott is Associate Professor and Director of the Centre for Educational Studies at the University of Warwick, UK. He has worked extensively with schools and colleges and has wide experience of teacher education and CPD.

• About the authorsContributorsList of figuresGlossary of terms usedPrefacePart I: Principles1. Effectiveness in Professional Learning and CPD2. The School/College as a Research-based Community3. Involving Learners in Research and Professional Learning4. Improving Professional Learning at Whole School Level5. Collaborative and Team Approaches to Professional Learning6. Improving Professional Learning at Individual Classroom LevelPart II: Practice7. The Secondary School as Research Community, Richard Parker (University of Northampton, UK)8. The Primary School with CPD at its Heart, Susan Robinson (University of Warwick, UK, and National College, UK)9. The Post-Compulsory College: Investigating for Teaching and Learning, Derek Warren and Cathy Francis-Wright (North Warwickshire & Hinckley College, UK)10. The Abu Dhabi Schools and Researching Staff Needs in a Centralised System, Ayman Hefnawi, Auruna Rajah and Uwem Umana with Philip Whitehead and David Middlewood (Abu Dhabi Education Council, United Arab Emirates, and University of Warwick, UK)Part III: Overview11. Conclusions and Reflections BibliographyIndex

An invaluable resource for all those wanting to learn how make more effective use of professional learning. The book shows that highly effective professional learning has a direct impact upon outcomes for students and helps us understand the crucial link between Continuing Professional Development (CPD) and school improvement. Readers learn what it means to become a learning organisation and are shown how both students and staff can make use of research to develop the effectiveness of their own institutions. We are provided with a practical handbook which offers both a welcome distillation of recent research and practical case studies which demonstrate how schools have made use of practitioner research. The need to put CPD at the heart of school improvement emerges as a consistent and powerful challenge to readers. A timely reminder of the crucial role of CPD in school improvement.