Dr John Gregory has worked in a wide range of education settings, including
schools, colleges and work-based learning. He recently completed a contract
as a training and educational excellence capability development manager for
Babcock International Group, based at HMS Collingwood.
establishments, organisations
or any individual within those
organisations.
How an individual conducts CPD will
depend very much on their own role.
Many options are available, including
internal and external courses,
conferences, research, coaching,
mentoring, workshops, seminars
and observations.
It is important, however, not to
underestimate the informal learning
that takes place just by carrying out
a professional role.
Daley ( 2001) suggested that
professionals do not learn during
one-off CPD events, but acquire their
knowledge through a wide selection
of methods and through their work.
It could be argued that strict
guidance on professional
development can blinker
practitioners so that
they do what is
required, and
nothing else. This
can stifle reflective practice,
which is so important for
professional development.
Daley (2001) also argued
that CPD comes from
contextual learning, and by
transferring that knowledge
back into practice in order
to improve it.
It is very important that
practitioners be given the
chance to reflect on what
they have learned, suggesting
a need for practice-centred
CPD rather than merely
providing an educational
programme.
As work requirements
become more skilled, so
training is required to support
the strategic direction of any
organisation. Time spent
on encouraging development
can help to avoid the turnover
costs of staff leaving, the
cost of recruitment and
ultimately the cost of
training new staff .
THEBIG
IDEA
Jay Derrick revisits Learning
Styles theories and argues
that they simply don’t
stand up to scrutiny
Theories of learning are just that – theories.
Various Learning Styles theories, for
example, became fashionable in the 1990s,
and were strongly promoted by educational
businesses and some government agencies
(see inTuition, issue 26, page 12, for a
discussion of fashions in teaching).
They argue that diff erent people are ‘visual’,
‘kinaesthetic’ or ‘auditory’ learners, for
example, and that classrooms and learning
activities should be organised to cater for
the styles of the learners in them. Learning
Styles theory, in diff erent forms, has become
widespread in further education.
However recent peer-reviewed research
fi ndings suggest that (a) brain science and
psychological research fails to support the
theory (Pashler 2009) and (b) there is little
evidence for its eff ectiveness (Hattie 2012).
Critics say diff erent ‘styles’ may be
temporary preferences, but are not ‘hard-
wired’, and that developing new preferences
may be a necessary element of learning.
There are few certainties in teaching. But
independent research evidence should not be
ignored: it should be tested in practice, with
colleagues and with an open mind. This is
how practice is developed, and is a true sign
of professionalism.
REFERENCES
• Coffi eld, F. (2013). Learning styles: time to move
on. National College for School Leadership.
• Hattie, J. (2012). Visible learning for teachers:
maximising impact on learning. London,
Routledge
• Pashler, H., McDaniel, M., Rohrer, D., & Bjork, R.
(2009). Learning styles: concepts and evidence.
Psychological science in the public interest 9 (3)
pp105–119
Jay Derrick is director of post-compulsory
teacher education at the UCL Institute
for Education.
INTUITION ISSUE 28 • SUMMER 2017 17