TPL Study: Continuing Professional Learning (Strand II)
Effective teaching is at the heart of a successful education system and there is a growing recognition that supporting teachers’ professional learning from the beginning to the end of their career is critical to improve student outcomes. Teachers’ professional learning enables them to develop the knowledge, skills, and practices necessary to be effective educators, support their peers, contribute to the collective improvement of the profession and gain the trust, status and self-efficacy to carry out their work with a high degree of professionalism. The importance of teachers’ continuing professional learning is rapidly growing in today’s education system as schools and teachers are facing societal expectations and pressures to respond to a fast changing world and its challenges.
Strand II of the TPL study therefore seeks to explore common challenges and strengths and identify which policy environments can best support teachers’ continuing professional learning.
How the TPL Study looks at Continuing Professional Learning
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Strand II of the TPL study explore policies that support teacher's Continuing Professional Learning (CPL), focusing on five analytical dimensions:
1. Motivation: What motivates teachers to engage in CPL?
2. Access: How do teachers access CPL?
3. Provision: How and by whom is CPL provided?
4. Content: How are CPL contents selected to match needs?
5. Quality: How is the quality of CPL ensured?
To learn more about the study's methodology and the conceptual framework of Strand II, read the Design and Implementation Plan or consult the OECD Working Paper "Policies to support teachers' continuing professional learning", which presents the framework for Strand II, systematically maps available OECD indicators to this framework and identifies information gaps and areas for future comparative work.
Country Background Reports
To prepare their TPL diagnoses, participating systems prepare a Country Background Report (CBR) on the context, goals, policies and key challenges of their teachers’ professional learning systems. The CBR provides a valuable opportunity for comparative inquiry, stakeholder engagement and peer learning, building on a common framework developed by the OECD with input from participating countries. It provides essential background information for the OECD team prior to their visit.
You can find further information on the preparation of Country Background Reports on CPL in our CBR Guidelines.
Country Background Report of the Flemish Community of Belgium
OECD Diagnostic Reports
Wales and the Flemish Community of Belgium are the first school systems to participate with a TPL country diagnosis on teachers’ continuing professional learning. Further countries interested in joining the study are invited to contact Deborah Nusche for further information.
Teachers' Professional Learning Study: Diagnostic report for the Flemish Community of Belgium
Watch this video to learn about key findings from the report
Teachers' Professional Learning Study: Diagnostic report for Wales
Watch this video to learn about key findings from the report