Evaluation of the Teacher Learning Academy: Phases 1 and 2
01 April 2007
This research sets out key findings from an evaluation of Phases 1 and 2 of the pilot Teacher Learning Academy (TLA). The pilot TLA was established by the General Teaching Council for England (GTC) to provide professional and public recognition for teachers' learning and development work. The Academy offers the opportunity for the learning that occurs in teachers' daily professional lives to be acknowledged through a national system.
Key Findings
- The research found that teachers who submitted work to the TLA derived significant outcomes from their involvement. Furthermore, for the vast majority of teachers, their involvement had altered their perceptions and understandings of professional development.
- Concerns were highlighted in relation to the manageability of participation in the TLA, chiefly regarding finding time to complete a submission and understanding the TLA requirements. It is anticipated that a change in approach in the TLA in Phase 3 could have the potential to resolve these manageability issues.
- The TLA was highly regarded as an effective model of professional development primarily for the recognition that it provides for teachers&##8217; work, and secondly for the model of professional development that it promotes. Two-thirds of interviewed teachers who submitted work to the TLA believed that it had a greater impact than other forms of professional development.