Understanding the challenges of using evidence from educational research in staff development and professional growth

PAUL HANSON, ASSISTANT VICE PRINCIPAL/STAFF DEVELOPMENT AND HEAD OF PIONEER COMMUNITY, HOMEWOOD SCHOOL AND SIXTH FORM CENTRE, UK CLAIRE TYSON, TEACHER RESEARCHER, HOMEWOOD SCHOOL AND SIXTH FORM CENTRE, UK The context for this reflection is a large teaching team in a non-selective secondary school in Kent. In 2019, Ofsted judged that the quality of education required improvement, and this improvement was judged to have been achieved by 2023 (Ofsted, 2023). This improvement was in part due to a properly developed implementation plan that focused on improving teaching and behaviour for learning. Key to success was the translation of academic-based research into useful professional development materials for teachers and the integration of an evidence-based ‘professional growth’ approach into the appraisal scheme. At the time of writing this reflection, we are in the ‘sustain’ phase of our implementation plan and conscious that we need to continuously nurture and acknowledge