A research-led approach to boosting professional development in schools

Raj Chande, Senior Research Associate, National Institute of Teaching, UK I joined the new National Institute of Teaching (NIoT) because I believe that we can make a real contribution to research into teaching and professional development – both its quality and its accessibility.  I know how hard it can be to translate research into classroom practice or into a genuinely useful CPD session for colleagues. I know this because I am also a teacher and, alongside my NIoT role, I will continue to teach mathematics and economics at a secondary school in Hackney.  In August, I was asked to deliver an inset session on student motivation. I was surprisingly nervous, partly because my colleagues are already fantastic teachers and, frankly, more experienced than I am. But I think that there was more to it than that. I felt far less confident teaching adults than teaching children, and I’ve been reflecting on why.  As a profession, I think that we are increasingly sure what