An evaluative inquiry into continuing professional development: understanding faculty perceptions

ABSTRACT

This article is comprised of the results of a developmental evaluation inquiry into continuing professional development (CPD) at a college in Western Canada. Since 2015, despite having one of the most generous CPD budgets among all colleges in the region, the faculty participation rate in CPD has ranged between approximately 48% and 56%. Patton’s ‘What? So What? Now What?’ inquiry framework was used to investigate why more faculty were not accessing CPD funds. This article also includes an examination of the intersection between professional identity and self, and offers some recommendations that could positively impact faculty participation in CPD. Key recommendations include creating a stronger workplace for faculty members, recognizing CPD as a key factor in supporting excellence in teaching and learning, capitalizing on mid-career academics, and exploring self-reflection as a tool for faculty members to identify and pursue meaningful CPD.

KEYWORDS:

• Continuing professional development
• CPD
• professional identity
• evaluation
• higher education

Disclosure statement

The author declares that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Notes

1. To maintain anonymity, I refer to policy documents by their title without providing complete citations.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Sandra Ifeatu Efu

Sandra Ifeatu Efu is the Director of Student Services at Keyano College. Her research interests include the economics of education, teaching and learning in higher education, and program design, evaluation and enhancement for social good.