Whither Postgraduate Professional Development? Towards a theoretical framework to guide long‐term teacher development in England

Abstract

The introduction of government‐funded Postgraduate Professional Development in England has raised many questions about the true political purpose and agenda of such accredited continuing professional development (CPD). There are conflicting aspirations for a master’s‐level teaching profession between educators and the government, albeit agreement that this represents a new gold standard. Without a proper, professionally agreed, theoretical framework to guide long‐term teacher development it is difficult to resolve these conflicts. In this paper we offer a view of what such a framework could look like and suggest a useful direction for CPD policy.