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Professional learning that changes practice glossary

47 terms from R21, Professional learning that changes practice — 23 defined in the guide itself and 24 more from the field around it. Every term the guide teaches links to the slide that teaches it.

The whole craft glossary

R21 · How to measure & scale

Professional learning that changes practice

What kind of training actually changes what teachers do?

Every term below is defined in the words of professional learning that changes practice, guide R21 of craft guides for educational technologists, and opens the guide at the slide where it is taught. 24 of the 47 are the field’s vocabulary rather than the guide’s own: words a reader will meet around this subject, defined here because the guide assumes them. 2 terms are also defined by another guide in the series; where the two differ, both wordings are given. The whole craft glossary holds all of them together.

TermDefinitionReferred to inRead further
A
Action planning

Deciding in detail when, where and how a new practice will be used (Sims et al., 2021).

  • Sims, S., Fletcher-Wood, H., O'Mara-Eves, A., Cottingham, S., Stansfield, C., Van Herwegen, J., & Anders, J. (2021). What are the characteristics of effective teacher professional development? A systematic review and meta-analysis. Education Endowment Foundation. files.eric.ed.gov
Action research

Enquiry carried out by practitioners into their own practice, in cycles of planning, acting, observing and reflecting.

  • R21Professional learning that changes practiceFrom the field · not in the guide
  • Lewin, K. (1946). Action research and minority problems. Journal of Social Issues, 2(4), 34–46. doi
Andragogy

The theory and practice of teaching adults, which assumes that they are self-directed, bring experience, and learn best what they can use soon.

  • R21Professional learning that changes practiceFrom the field · not in the guide
  • Knowles, M. S. (1973). The adult learner: A neglected species. Gulf Publishing.
B
Backward planning

Planning professional development from the student learning you want back to what teachers would do differently, what the school must provide, what teachers must learn, and only then the session (Guskey, 2002).

  • Guskey, T. R. (2002). Does it make a difference? Evaluating professional development. Educational Leadership, 59(6), 45–51. ascd.org
Balanced design

A programme with at least one mechanism for each of the four purposes: insight, goals, techniques and embedding practice (Sims et al., 2021).

  • Sims, S., Fletcher-Wood, H., O'Mara-Eves, A., Cottingham, S., Stansfield, C., Van Herwegen, J., & Anders, J. (2021). What are the characteristics of effective teacher professional development? A systematic review and meta-analysis. Education Endowment Foundation. files.eric.ed.gov
Best Evidence Synthesis

New Zealand's synthesis on teacher professional learning, drawing on 97 studies of professional development that improved outcomes for students (Timperley et al., 2007).

  • Timperley, H., Wilson, A., Barrar, H., & Fung, I. (2007). Teacher professional learning and development: Best evidence synthesis iteration. Ministry of Education, New Zealand. thehub.sia.govt.nz
  • Timperley, H. (2008). Teacher professional learning and development (Educational Practices Series No. 18). International Academy of Education; International Bureau of Education. iaoed.org
Blended learning

A course design that combines face-to-face sessions with online study, each used for what it does best.

  • R21Professional learning that changes practiceFrom the field · not in the guide
  • Garrison, D. R., & Kanuka, H. (2004). Blended learning: Uncovering its transformative potential in higher education. The Internet and Higher Education, 7(2), 95–105. doi
C
Coaching

Repeated cycles of observation, feedback and planning with an individual teacher or a small group.

  • Kraft, M. A., Blazar, D., & Hogan, D. (2018). The effect of teacher coaching on instruction and achievement: A meta-analysis of the causal evidence. Review of Educational Research, 88(4), 547–588. doi
  • Showers, B., & Joyce, B. (1996). The evolution of peer coaching. Educational Leadership, 53(6), 12–16. ascd.org
  • Joyce, B., & Showers, B. (2002). Student achievement through staff development (3rd ed.). Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. books.google.com
Coherence

Consistency between professional learning and the teacher's curriculum, knowledge, students and wider policy (Desimone, 2009).

  • Desimone, L. M. (2009). Improving impact studies of teachers' professional development: Toward better conceptualizations and measures. Educational Researcher, 38(3), 181–199. doi
  • Desimone, L. M., & Garet, M. S. (2015). Best practices in teachers' professional development in the United States. Psychology, Society, & Education, 7(3), 252–263. repositorio.ual.es
  • Garet, M. S., Porter, A. C., Desimone, L., Birman, B. F., & Yoon, K. S. (2001). What makes professional development effective? Results from a national sample of teachers. American Educational Research Journal, 38(4), 915–945. doi
Community of practice

A group of people who share a craft or concern and get better at it by interacting regularly.

  • R21Professional learning that changes practiceFrom the field · not in the guide
  • Wenger, E. (1998). Communities of practice: Learning, meaning, and identity. Cambridge University Press. doi
  • Lave, J., & Wenger, E. (1991). Situated learning: Legitimate peripheral participation. Cambridge University Press. doi
Context-specific repetition

Practising a new behaviour repeatedly in the setting where it will be used, so it becomes a habit.

  • Sims, S., Fletcher-Wood, H., O'Mara-Eves, A., Cottingham, S., Stansfield, C., Van Herwegen, J., & Anders, J. (2021). What are the characteristics of effective teacher professional development? A systematic review and meta-analysis. Education Endowment Foundation. files.eric.ed.gov
Core features of effective professional development

Five features set out by Desimone: content focus, active learning, coherence, sustained duration and collective participation (Desimone, 2009).

  • Desimone, L. M. (2009). Improving impact studies of teachers' professional development: Toward better conceptualizations and measures. Educational Researcher, 38(3), 181–199. doi
  • Desimone, L. M., & Garet, M. S. (2015). Best practices in teachers' professional development in the United States. Psychology, Society, & Education, 7(3), 252–263. repositorio.ual.es
  • Garet, M. S., Porter, A. C., Desimone, L., Birman, B. F., & Yoon, K. S. (2001). What makes professional development effective? Results from a national sample of teachers. American Educational Research Journal, 38(4), 915–945. doi
D
Deliberate practice

Practice designed to improve one specific part of performance, with a clear goal, full concentration, immediate feedback and repetition.

  • R21Professional learning that changes practiceFrom the field · not in the guide
  • Ericsson, K. A., Krampe, R. T., & Tesch-Römer, C. (1993). The role of deliberate practice in the acquisition of expert performance. Psychological Review, 100(3), 363–406. doi
Dosage

The amount of a programme a participant actually receives, counted in hours, sessions or coaching cycles, as distinct from the amount planned.

  • R21Professional learning that changes practiceFrom the field · not in the guide
    E
    Effect size

    A difference between groups expressed in standard deviations, so results from different tests can be compared.

    R16 The size of a difference between groups, often in standard deviations. Comparable only when tests and comparison groups are similar.

    R18 The size of a difference or relationship, in raw units or standardised against the spread.

    • von Hippel, P. T. (2024). Two-sigma tutoring: Separating science fiction from science fact. Education Next, 24(2). educationnext.org
    • Cohen, J. (1988). Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences (2nd ed.). Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
    • Kraft, M. A., Blazar, D., & Hogan, D. (2018). The effect of teacher coaching on instruction and achievement: A meta-analysis of the causal evidence. Review of Educational Research, 88(4), 547–588. doi
    Effectiveness trial

    A test of a programme at larger scale under ordinary conditions.

    • Kraft, M. A., Blazar, D., & Hogan, D. (2018). The effect of teacher coaching on instruction and achievement: A meta-analysis of the causal evidence. Review of Educational Research, 88(4), 547–588. doi
    Efficacy trial

    A test of a programme under favourable conditions, usually small and closely supported.

    • Kraft, M. A., Blazar, D., & Hogan, D. (2018). The effect of teacher coaching on instruction and achievement: A meta-analysis of the causal evidence. Review of Educational Research, 88(4), 547–588. doi
    F
    Fidelity

    The degree to which a programme is delivered as designed.

    R07 How close a prototype is to the finished product in look, behaviour and content.

    • Rudd, J., Stern, K., & Isensee, S. (1996). Low vs. high-fidelity prototyping debate. Interactions, 3(1), 76–85. doi
    • Sims, S., Fletcher-Wood, H., O'Mara-Eves, A., Cottingham, S., Stansfield, C., Van Herwegen, J., & Anders, J. (2021). What are the characteristics of effective teacher professional development? A systematic review and meta-analysis. Education Endowment Foundation. files.eric.ed.gov
    • Walker, M., Takayama, L., & Landay, J. A. (2002). High-fidelity or low-fidelity, paper or computer? Choosing attributes when testing web prototypes. Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting, 46(5), 661–665. doi
    Five levels of evaluation

    Five levels of evidence for professional learning: participants' reactions, their learning, organisation support and change, their use of new knowledge and skills, and student learning outcomes (Guskey, 2002).

    • Guskey, T. R. (2002). Does it make a difference? Evaluating professional development. Educational Leadership, 59(6), 45–51. ascd.org
    • Guskey, T. R. (2000). Evaluating professional development. Corwin Press.
    Forgetting curve

    The pattern of rapid early loss of learned material, first described by Ebbinghaus and since replicated (Murre & Dros, 2015).

    • Murre, J. M. J., & Dros, J. (2015). Replication and analysis of Ebbinghaus' forgetting curve. PLOS ONE, 10(7), Article e0120644. doi
    • Cepeda, N. J., Pashler, H., Vul, E., Wixted, J. T., & Rohrer, D. (2006). Distributed practice in verbal recall tasks: A review and quantitative synthesis. Psychological Bulletin, 132(3), 354–380. doi
    I
    In-service training (INSET)

    Training for teachers already in post. In England, an INSET day is one of the five days a year when schools close to pupils for staff training.

    • R21Professional learning that changes practiceFrom the field · not in the guide
      Induction

      The structured programme of support, training and reduced load given to teachers in their first years in the profession or in a new school.

      • R21Professional learning that changes practiceFrom the field · not in the guide
      • Ingersoll, R. M., & Strong, M. (2011). The impact of induction and mentoring programs for beginning teachers: A critical review of the research. Review of Educational Research, 81(2), 201–233. doi
      Instructional rounds

      A practice adapted from medical rounds, in which a group of educators visits classrooms to observe a shared problem of practice and then discusses the patterns seen.

      • R21Professional learning that changes practiceFrom the field · not in the guide
      • City, E. A., Elmore, R. F., Fiarman, S. E., & Teitel, L. (2009). Instructional rounds in education: A network approach to improving teaching and learning. Harvard Education Press.
      J
      Job-embedded professional development

      Professional learning that takes place during the working day, in the teacher's own school and on their own teaching, rather than at an external course.

      • R21Professional learning that changes practiceFrom the field · not in the guide
      • Darling-Hammond, L., Hyler, M. E., & Gardner, M. (2017). Effective teacher professional development. Learning Policy Institute. doi
      K
      Kirkpatrick model

      A model that evaluates training at four levels: participants' reaction, their learning, their behaviour on the job, and results for the organisation.

      • R21Professional learning that changes practiceFrom the field · not in the guide
      • Guskey, T. R. (2002). Does it make a difference? Evaluating professional development. Educational Leadership, 59(6), 45–51. ascd.org
      • Kirkpatrick, D. L. (1994). Evaluating training programs: The four levels. Berrett-Koehler.
      L
      Learning walk

      A short, structured visit to several classrooms by leaders or colleagues, looking for one agreed aspect of teaching rather than judging individual teachers.

      • R21Professional learning that changes practiceFrom the field · not in the guide
        Lesson study

        A Japanese form of professional learning in which teachers jointly plan a lesson, watch one of them teach it, and discuss what the students did.

        • R21Professional learning that changes practiceFrom the field · not in the guide
        • Lewis, C., Perry, R., & Murata, A. (2006). How should research contribute to instructional improvement? The case of lesson study. Educational Researcher, 35(3), 3–14. doi
        • Stigler, J. W., & Hiebert, J. (1999). The teaching gap: Best ideas from the world's teachers for improving education in the classroom. Free Press.
        Linked session

        A training session built around a lesson the teacher is about to teach.

        • Desimone, L. M., & Garet, M. S. (2015). Best practices in teachers' professional development in the United States. Psychology, Society, & Education, 7(3), 252–263. repositorio.ual.es
        • Desimone, L. M. (2009). Improving impact studies of teachers' professional development: Toward better conceptualizations and measures. Educational Researcher, 38(3), 181–199. doi
        M
        Mechanism

        An evidence-based ingredient of how people learn and change behaviour, such as feedback or goal setting.

        • Sims, S., Fletcher-Wood, H., O'Mara-Eves, A., Cottingham, S., Stansfield, C., Van Herwegen, J., & Anders, J. (2021). What are the characteristics of effective teacher professional development? A systematic review and meta-analysis. Education Endowment Foundation. files.eric.ed.gov
        Mentoring

        Support given to a less experienced teacher by a more experienced one over a sustained period, covering the role as a whole rather than one technique.

        • R21Professional learning that changes practiceFrom the field · not in the guide
        • Hobson, A. J., Ashby, P., Malderez, A., & Tomlinson, P. D. (2009). Mentoring beginning teachers: What we know and what we don't. Teaching and Teacher Education, 25(1), 207–216. doi
        Micro-credential

        A record of assessed learning in a small, specific skill, often issued as a digital badge, which may stand alone or count towards a larger qualification.

        • R21Professional learning that changes practiceFrom the field · not in the guide
        • Oliver, B. (2022). Towards a common definition of micro-credentials. UNESCO.
        Microteaching

        Teaching a short, scaled-down lesson to a few peers or students, often recorded, and then receiving feedback on one specific skill.

        • R21Professional learning that changes practiceFrom the field · not in the guide
        • Allen, D. W., & Ryan, K. (1969). Microteaching. Addison-Wesley. doi
        Modelling

        Showing teachers what a practice looks like, through a live demonstration, a video or a worked example, before asking them to try it.

        • R21Professional learning that changes practiceFrom the field · not in the guide
        • Sims, S., Fletcher-Wood, H., O'Mara-Eves, A., Cottingham, S., Stansfield, C., Van Herwegen, J., & Anders, J. (2021). What are the characteristics of effective teacher professional development? A systematic review and meta-analysis. Education Endowment Foundation. files.eric.ed.gov
        N
        Networked learning community

        A group of teachers from different schools who learn through shared practice (Academy of Singapore Teachers, 2026b).

        P
        Pedagogical content knowledge (PCK)

        A teacher's knowledge of how to make a particular subject understandable: its useful representations, and the difficulties and misconceptions students bring to it.

        • R21Professional learning that changes practiceFrom the field · not in the guide
        • Mishra, P., & Koehler, M. J. (2006). Technological pedagogical content knowledge: A framework for teacher knowledge. Teachers College Record, 108(6), 1017–1054. doi
        • Shulman, L. S. (1986). Those who understand: Knowledge growth in teaching. Educational Researcher, 15(2), 4–14. doi
        Peer coaching

        Teachers working in coaching groups to carry training into classroom use; the later model dropped peer feedback, and teachers planned together and observed each other instead (Showers & Joyce, 1996).

        • Showers, B., & Joyce, B. (1996). The evolution of peer coaching. Educational Leadership, 53(6), 12–16. ascd.org
        • Joyce, B., & Showers, B. (2002). Student achievement through staff development (3rd ed.). Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. books.google.com
        Professional development

        Structured, facilitated activity for teachers intended to increase their teaching ability (Sims et al., 2021).

        • Sims, S., Fletcher-Wood, H., O'Mara-Eves, A., Cottingham, S., Stansfield, C., Van Herwegen, J., & Anders, J. (2021). What are the characteristics of effective teacher professional development? A systematic review and meta-analysis. Education Endowment Foundation. files.eric.ed.gov
        • Desimone, L. M. (2009). Improving impact studies of teachers' professional development: Toward better conceptualizations and measures. Educational Researcher, 38(3), 181–199. doi
        • Kennedy, M. M. (2016). How does professional development improve teaching? Review of Educational Research, 86(4), 945–980. doi
        Professional learning community (PLC)

        A group of teachers in a school who meet regularly to examine student learning, try changes to their teaching and review the results together.

        • R21Professional learning that changes practiceFrom the field · not in the guide
        • Stoll, L., Bolam, R., McMahon, A., Wallace, M., & Thomas, S. (2006). Professional learning communities: A review of the literature. Journal of Educational Change, 7(4), 221–258. doi
        • DuFour, R., & Eaker, R. (1998). Professional learning communities at work: Best practices for enhancing student achievement. National Educational Service.
        R
        Reflective practice

        The habit of examining one's own work, during and after it, in order to learn from it and change what one does next.

        • R21Professional learning that changes practiceFrom the field · not in the guide
        • Schön, D. A. (1983). The reflective practitioner: How professionals think in action. Basic Books.
        Rehearsal

        Practising a technique outside the classroom, usually with colleagues playing the students, so that it can be tried and corrected before a real lesson.

        • R21Professional learning that changes practiceFrom the field · not in the guide
        • Sims, S., Fletcher-Wood, H., O'Mara-Eves, A., Cottingham, S., Stansfield, C., Van Herwegen, J., & Anders, J. (2021). What are the characteristics of effective teacher professional development? A systematic review and meta-analysis. Education Endowment Foundation. files.eric.ed.gov
        • Lampert, M., Franke, M. L., Kazemi, E., Ghousseini, H., Turrou, A. C., Beasley, H., Cunard, A., & Crowe, K. (2013). Keeping it complex: Using rehearsals to support novice teacher learning of ambitious teaching. Journal of Teacher Education, 64(3), 226–243. doi
        S
        Spacing

        Spreading learning across separate sessions rather than massing it in one (Cepeda et al., 2006).

        • Cepeda, N. J., Pashler, H., Vul, E., Wixted, J. T., & Rohrer, D. (2006). Distributed practice in verbal recall tasks: A review and quantitative synthesis. Psychological Bulletin, 132(3), 354–380. doi
        • Sims, S., Fletcher-Wood, H., O'Mara-Eves, A., Cottingham, S., Stansfield, C., Van Herwegen, J., & Anders, J. (2021). What are the characteristics of effective teacher professional development? A systematic review and meta-analysis. Education Endowment Foundation. files.eric.ed.gov
        Sustained duration

        Professional learning activities that are ongoing throughout the school year, with 20 hours or more of contact time (Desimone & Garet, 2015).

        • Desimone, L. M., & Garet, M. S. (2015). Best practices in teachers' professional development in the United States. Psychology, Society, & Education, 7(3), 252–263. repositorio.ual.es
        • Garet, M. S., Porter, A. C., Desimone, L., Birman, B. F., & Yoon, K. S. (2001). What makes professional development effective? Results from a national sample of teachers. American Educational Research Journal, 38(4), 915–945. doi
        • Darling-Hammond, L., Hyler, M. E., & Gardner, M. (2017). Effective teacher professional development. Learning Policy Institute. doi
        T
        Teacher self-efficacy

        A teacher's belief in their own ability to bring about student engagement and learning, which affects how readily they try and persist with new practices.

        • R21Professional learning that changes practiceFrom the field · not in the guide
        • Tschannen-Moran, M., & Woolfolk Hoy, A. (2001). Teacher efficacy: Capturing an elusive construct. Teaching and Teacher Education, 17(7), 783–805. doi
        • Bandura, A. (1977). Self-efficacy: Toward a unifying theory of behavioral change. Psychological Review, 84(2), 191–215. doi
        TPACK

        Technological pedagogical content knowledge: knowing how technology, teaching and subject content work together (Mishra & Koehler, 2006).

        • Mishra, P., & Koehler, M. J. (2006). Technological pedagogical content knowledge: A framework for teacher knowledge. Teachers College Record, 108(6), 1017–1054. doi
        • Shulman, L. S. (1986). Those who understand: Knowledge growth in teaching. Educational Researcher, 15(2), 4–14. doi
        Train-the-trainer

        A model in which a small group is trained first and then trains colleagues in turn. It reaches many people cheaply, and content is diluted at each step.

        • R21Professional learning that changes practiceFrom the field · not in the guide
        • Hayes, D. (2000). Cascade training and teachers' professional development. ELT Journal, 54(2), 135–145. doi
        Training needs analysis

        A study, made before training is designed, of what people must be able to do, what they can do now, and whether training is the right answer to the gap.

        • R21Professional learning that changes practiceFrom the field · not in the guide
          Transfer

          The use of something learned in training in the setting where it is meant to be used.

          • Showers, B., & Joyce, B. (1996). The evolution of peer coaching. Educational Leadership, 53(6), 12–16. ascd.org
          • Joyce, B., & Showers, B. (2002). Student achievement through staff development (3rd ed.). Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. books.google.com

          Nearby

          The guide itself, and the ones either side

          Read professional learning that changes practice (opens in a new tab)Communicating change to schools Support and feedback loops All 21 guides
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