Research Title: INSTITUTIONALIZING SCHOOL LEARNING ACTION CELL AS A KEY

FOR TEACHER’S CONTINUOUS LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT

Research Proponent: Vivian C. Silva
District: Calaca
School: Lumbang na Matanda Elementary School
Title:

Institutionalizing School Learning Action Cell in as a Key for Teacher’s Continuous

Learning and Development

I. Introduction and Rationale

In line with the implementation of Republic Act 10533 or the Enhanced Basic

Education Act of 2013, the Department of Education issued the policy on the Learning

Action Cell (LAC) as a K-12 Basic Education Program School-Based Continuing

Professional Development Strategy for the Improvement of Teaching and Learning. (DepEd

Order # 35 s. 2016)

This advocacy of DepEd implies that every teacher should be properly guided and

equipped with the know- how of the teaching learning processes through revisiting or

reviewing some areas or concerned in performing the duties and responsibilities of an

effective and efficient teachers. Successful teaching is a result of the systematic use of

appropriate strategies for delivering and assessing the learning objectives targeted for

lesson.

Therefore, teachers should apply appropriate teaching strategies that best suit

specific objectives and level exit outcomes to facilitate the process of knowledge

transmission. In the traditional epoch, many teaching practitioners widely applied teacher-

centered to impart knowledge to learner’s comparative to student-centered. By these,

teachers play a significant role in the intellectual development of the pupils using various

assessments and teaching strategies to improve pupil’s performance in schools’ subject

 The position of teachers shows the invaluable importance to effective teaching and

learning. It is therefore certain that pupils would not benefit much from learning, where

teachers are not competent. Lawani (2004) states that classroom teachers are one of the

chief determinants of educational achievements: their academic qualification, relevant

professional training, work experience among others are most significant determinants of

students’ academic performance. A teacher is expected to organize curriculum and teaching

with the aim of helping the children to overcome barriers to learning.

As one of the key result area in the educational process, there is a need to

institutionalize the school learning action cell in the school to improve the teacher’s

competence. This will also an avenue of collaboration and sharing of best practices among

teachers . Through this, there will be an improvement.in the teaching learning process

through improvement of teachers as well when the learning gained will be apply.

As a school head of Lumbang na Matanda Elementary School and Learning and

Development coordinator of the District of Calaca , the researcher would like to contribute in

every teachers’ professional development through school learning action cell. That is why,

she is trying to contribute to teachers’ professional development through institutionalizing

school learning action cell(SLAC) as a key for continuous professional development.

II. Literature Review

Pursuant to section 15 of Article IV of Republic Act 1032 known as Continuing

Professional Development Act, the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) and

Philippine Regulatory Boards (PRB) hereby adopt and promulgate the implementing rules

and guidelines to carry out the provisions of 10912.It is hereby promulgated that the State

shall institute measures that will continuously improve the competence of professionals in

line with the national standards of practice, thereby ensuring their contribution in uplifting the

general welfare , economic growth and development of the nation.

 Continuing Professional Development (CPD)refers to the inculcation of advanced

knowledge, skills and ethical values in a post-licensure specialization or in an inter-or multi-

disciplinary field of study. The CPD programs consists of activities that range from structured

and non-structured activities which have learning process and outcomes. These includes

formal learning, non-formal learning, informal learning, self-directed learning, online learning

and professional work experience. Attendance and participation of professionals to

seminars, conferences and conventions shall be given appropriate CPD units in recognition

of the fact that it contributes to the professional development and lifelong learning of

professionals.

With regards to the teaching profession, it is always believed that teachers are potent

factors in education. They are responsible for shaping the youth through quality education. It

is imperative that teachers acquire the totality of the information and qualities of education

through instructions and training which maximize the development of an individual

physically, mentally and morally. If teachers would be able to implement good programs and

provide the learners effective teaching learning situations, the success would be reflected in

the desired changes in the pupil’s behavior. Teaching strategies acquired from seminar –

workshops would be effective only in the hands of effective teachers. In their hands lies the

responsibility of affecting desired changes in the lives of the pupils. (Bantugan, 2009).

Therefore, it is the goal of every teacher to become not only efficient but also

effective. Today, a lot of trainings and seminars are being conducted to improve and

develop the craft of each mentor in school. With the constant change in the basic education

curriculum, teachers need to upgrade themselves in order that they can properly implement

these changes. Upgrading requires attendance to trainings, seminars, conferences and

even enrollment in graduate education. But with the present conditions of the teachers in

the public schools only very few can afford this, unless government intervenes and provide

upgrading activities for free.

 Along this trend, trainings and seminars on information and communication

technology, new methods and techniques in teachings, orientations on the K-12 Curriculum,

Values Formation Seminars and the likes are being held so as to prepare all the teachers in

globalization. Attendance to these seminars will help create an effective learning

environment, improve teaching-learning situations, keep updated on modern instructional

devices and inspire them to become better teachers in the modern world (Felipe, 2013).

In furtherance, it is stated that the major sources of 30% variance in student

achievement comes from teachers that is why they are potent factors in education. They are

responsible for shaping the youth through quality education. It is imperative that teachers

acquire the totality of the information and qualities of education through instructions and

training which maximize the development of an individual physically, mentally and morally.

Pursuant to DepEd Order No. 32 s. 2011 on Policies and Guidelines on Training and

Development (T&D) Programs and Activities states that the Department of Education

(DepEd) has reviewed and reformulated policy guidelines on designing training and

development (T&D) programs and in conducting activities for the capacity and capability

building of the DepEd personnel and staff. These policies are implemented in consonance

with the existing policies and guidelines prepared by the Civil Service Commission (CSC),

National Economic Development Authority (NEDA), Department of Budget and Management

(DBM), Commission on Audit (COA), and this Department, among others. The following are

the given definition and concept of T&D: (a) Training and Development (T&D) is the process

by which an organization or institution provides professional development activities to

enhance individuals with knowledge, skills and attitudes to enable them to perform their

functions effectively. (b) Activities under this are trainings, seminars, workshops,

conferences, scholarships and job-embedded learning. Conduct of these activities shall

involve a systematic process of competence/needs assessment, planning, designing,

resource development and the actual delivery of the programs.

 In a study of Tanner and Vains-Loy (2009) the major sources of 30% variance in
student achievement comes from teachers that is why they are potent factors in education.
They are responsible for shaping the youth through quality education. It is imperative that
teachers acquire the totality of the information and qualities of education through instructions
and training which maximize the development of an individual physically, mentally and
morally.
If teachers would be able to implement good programs and provide the learners
effective teaching learning situations, the success would be reflected in the desired changes
in the pupil’s behavior. Teaching strategies acquired from seminar – workshops would be
effective only in the hands of effective teachers. In their hands lies the responsibility of
affecting desired changes in the lives of the pupils (Bantugan, 2009).
Moreover, the time teachers spend in professional development makes a difference
as well, but only when the activities focus on high-quality subject-matter content. Extended
opportunities to better understand student learning, curriculum materials and instruction, and
subject-matter content can boost the performance of both teachers and students.
Furthermore, good teachers form the foundation of good schools, and improving
teachers’ skills and knowledge is one of the most important investments of time and money
that local and national leaders make in education. Research on professional development is
scattered throughout subject areas, with its focus ranging from classroom processes and
structures to teachers’ personal traits. 
With the constant change in the basic education curriculum, teachers need to
upgrade themselves in order that they can properly implement these changes. Upgrading
requires attendance to trainings, seminars, conferences and even enrollment in graduate
education. But with the present conditions of the teachers in the public schools only very
few can afford this, unless government intervenes and provide upgrading activities for free.

With that scenario, the uprising training needs of teachers should be addressed by
school through institutionalizing school-based training or school learning action cell.

III. RESEARCH QUESTIONS

This research aims to improve the teacher’s performance through institutionalizing

school learning action cell(SLAC) as a key for continuous learning and development.

Specifically, it sought answers to the following questions

1. What are the training needs of teachers in terms of :

 1.1. Learners diversity and inclusion

1.2. Content and pedagogy

1.3. Assessment and reporting

1.4. 21st century skills and ICT integration

1.5. Curriculum contextualization

1.6. DepEd thrusts and policies

2. What are the problems encountered by schools in the process of school learning
action cell?

3. What plan of action may be proposed to institutionalize the conduct of school

learning cells?

IV. SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS

This study determined the basis of schools in conducting learning cells and the

problems being encountered in the process of school action cell. Moreover, this study was

also focused on strategies that could be employ to institutionalize the conduct of SLAC in all

schools in the District of Calaca. As an output, a plan of action was proposed to

institutionalize the conduct of school learning action cells in the different schools in the

District of Calaca.

The study used the descriptive method of research with the questionnaire as its main

tool in gathering data complemented with interview to substantiate the analysis of data

gathered from the questionnaire.

This study was done in Calaca District with thirty-one respondents coming from the

thirty-one schools in the District of Calaca..

V. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

a. Sampling
 The respondents in this study are the thirty school heads of Calaca District who are

considered the Learning Action Leader. She also collected data through interview.

b. Data collection

The data will be collected using survey questionnaire. The responses will be

tallied, analyzed and interpreted. Frequency, ranking and weighted mean were the

statistical tools used for data analysis.

c. Ethical issues

The following procedure will be done prior to the conduct of the study:

1. The researcher officially seek the approval of the schools Division Superintendent

and District Supervisors for the distribution of the copies of the questionnaire to the

target respondents.

2. Upon approval of the request, the researcher will personally distribute the copies of

the instrument to the school heads and teachers..

3. Plan for Data Analysis

The study utilized the descriptive method of research. According to Broto

(2007) descriptive method is used to discover answers to the questions who, what,

when, where and sometimes how. Such may involve the collection of data as well as

describing the characteristics of the respondents under study and the creation of the

number of times the researcher observes a single event or characteristics. It may also

involves relating the interaction of two or more variables.

The descriptive method is a useful tool for scientific investigation which aims to

describe the existing status of events or phenomena. It is the most common

methodology because it summarizes the characteristics of individuals or group or

physical environment. The researcher used this kind of research method in order to

obtain first hand data from the results of the assessment of the respondents which led to

the formulation of rational and sound conclusions and recommendations of the study.
 The design of the study followed the Input- Process- Output Model (IPO). In the

input,

OUTPUT

Action Plan to Improve

INPUT the Pupils’ Performance
PROCESS
in School
 Training Needs of Assessment of the
teachers Perception of Teachers
Benchmarking and
- on School Learning
Sharing the Strategies
 Problems Action cell as a key for
encountered in teacher’s learning and
conducting school development Dissemination of
learning action cell Information

Conceptual Paradigm

Figure

IV. Results and Discussions

 Table 1

3.1. Learners diversity and inclusion

INDICATORS Weighted Mean Rank

Diversity of Learners 4.24 3
Inclusive Education 4.25 2
Special Education 4.12 5
Multiple Intelligences 4.35 1
Gender and Development 4.13 4
Total

3.2. Content and pedagogy

INDICATORS Weighted Mean Rank
Application of Content Knowledge within 4.32 2.5
and across curriculum teaching areas
Using range of Teaching Strategies that 4.39 1
Enhance Learner Achievement in
Literacy
Teaching Strategies that Enhance 4.19 5
Learner Achievement in Numeracy
Strategies Applied on Developing Critical 4.32 2.5
and Creative Thinking Skills as well as
Higher Order Thinking Skills
Different Approaches in Teaching 4.26 4

3.3. Assessment and reporting

INDICATORS Weighted Mean Rank
K-12 Assessment Process 4.26 3.5
Blooms Taxonomy 4.48 1
Utilization of Rubrics 4.39 2
Using Group Consultation in 4.26 3.5
Communicating Learners Needs and
Progress
Home Visitation as a tool for 4.23 5
Communication to Stakeholders

3.4. 21st century skills and ICT integration

INDICATORS Weighted Mean Rank

Utilization of ICT on Teaching 4.42 3

Integration of ICT in Teaching 4.52 2
Understanding 21st Century Learners 4.29 4
21st Century Skills 4.55 1

3.5. Curriculum contextualization

INDICATORS Weighted Mean Rank

Localization 4.39 1
Contextualization 4.29 23
Developing Localized Plan 4.16 4
Developing Contextualized Plan 4.19 3

3.6. DepEd thrusts and policies

INDICATORS Weighted Mean Rank
School Based Management 4.22 5
Reading Program 4.35 1
Disaster Risk and Management 4.29 3
Research 4.32 2
Journalism 4.22 4
II. Problems encountered by schools in the process of school learning action cell

INDICATORS Weighted Mean Rank

Assessment of Training Needs 4.43 2
Planning the LAC 4.26 4
Prioritization of Topics 4.46 1
Preparation of LAC Materials 4.28 3
Monitoring and Evaluation 4.20 5
Giving Feedback 4.12 6

III. Time Line and Gantt Chart

Activities Persons Involved Timeline Output

Drafting the research Researcher June –1st Week Approved Basic
proposal District Action Research of July 2018 Research Proposal
Team ( DART)
Formulating the survey Researcher 2nd week of July Completed Survey
questionnaire PSDS 2018 Questionnaire
Distributing and Researcher 3rd Week of July Accomplished Survey
Retrieving survey Teachers/Respondents 2017 Questionnaires by the
questionnaires to Respondents
respondents
Tallying, analysing and Researcher 4th Week of July Accomplished Results
interpreting results 2018 and Discussions
Formulating Researcher 1st week of Presented Conclusions
Conclusions and August and Recommendations
Recommendations of of the Study
the Study
Disseminating the Researcher 2nd Week of Pictorial / Narrative
results of the study Respondents August 2017 Report of
Co-School Heads Accomplishments

VIII.Cost Estimates

Item Amount per unit Quantity Cost

Hardcopy Bond 150.00 1 ream Php 150.00
Paper 8.5 x 11
Epson Black Ink 300.00 1 bottle Php 300.00
Food and drinks for 100.00 per pack 15 packs Php 1500.00
the respondents
 TOTAL Php 1,950.00

The researcher will also share the results to the teachers so that they could help in

formulating a good action plan of action to institutionalize the conduct of School Learning

Action Cell.

IV. References

V. Action Research Methods

c. Data analysis plan

VI. Action Research Workplan and Timeline

ACTIVITY TIME FRAME EXPECTED OUTPUT

Preparation of research 3 days Research profile worksheet

worksheet
Preparation of test 2 days Verified questionnaires
questionnaires
Administration of the test to 1 day Consolidated results of test
respondents
Interpretation of data 5 days Interpreted data
gathered
Completing the action 5 days Revised research study
research
Disseminating the results to 1 day Narrative Pictorial report of
the school head and the accomplishment of the
colleagues study

VII. Cost Estimates

 Item Amount per unit Quantity/Unit Cost
Hardcopy Bond 150.00 1/ream 150.00
paper (8.5 x 11)
Black Ink of Epson 300.00 1/ bottle 300.00
Printer
Load for wifi 55.00 10 /days 550.00
Total 1000.00

IX. REFERENCES

A. Online Sources

A. RESEARCH INFORMATION

RESEARCH TITLE:
SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE RESEARCH
 RESEARCH CATEGORY ( check only RESEARCH AGENDA CATEGORY
one) (check only one main research theme)
o National o Teaching and Learning

o Region o Child Protection

o Schools Division o Human Resource Development

o District o Governance

o School (check up to one cross-cutting theme, if

applicable)
(Check only one) o DRRM
o Action Research
o Gender and Development
o Basic Research
o Inclusive Education

Others (please specify):____

__________
FUND SOURCE ( e.g. BERF, SEF, AMOUNT
Others)
MOOE ( supplies) 450.00

Personal Fund ( merienda ) 1500.00

 Indicate also if the proponent will use personal funds

B. PROPONENT INFORMATION

LEAD PROPONENT/INDIVIDUAL PROPONENT

LAST NAME: FIRST NAME MIDDLE NAME:

SILVA VIVIAN CASANOVA
BIRTHDATE (MM/DD/YYYY SEX: POSITION/DESIGNATION:
09/18/1978 FEMALE PRINCIPAL-I

REGION/DIVISION/SCHOOL(which ever is applicable)

LUMBANG NA MATANDA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
CONTACT NUMBER 1: CONTACT NUMBER 2: EMAIL ADDRESS:
N/A vivian.silva @deped.gov.ph
0928-163-6898

EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT TITLE OF THESIS/RELATED RESEARCH PROJECT

(DEGREE TITLE)

Enumerate from Bachelor’s Degree

up to Doctorate degree

Master of Arts in Education Major in School Paper Management in the Elementary

Administration Schools of the District of Calaca

Doctor of Education Local Government Programs and Projects and

their Impact to School Performance
SIGNATURE OF PROPONENT:

IMMEDIATE SUPERVISOR’S CONFORME

I hereby endorse the attached research proposal. I certify that the proponent/s
has/have the capacity to implement a research study without compromising their office
functions.

ANABEL R. MARASIGAN, Ed.D.

Name and Signature of Immediate Supervisor

Position/Designation: PRINCIPAL I

Date: July 25,2018

 CALACA DISTRICT ACTION RESEARCH TEAM

ANABEL R. MARASIGAN, Ed.D

Chairperson

CERILINA A. MANALO
Co-Chairperson

GLORIA C. SALAZAR

VIVIAN C. SILVA

CLARISSA PENIZ

EDILBERTA R. MANALO

ANNEX 3: Declaration of Anti- Plagiarism and Absence of Conflict of Interest

DECLARATION OF ANTI-PLAGIARISM

1. I , VIVIAN C. SILVA understand that plagiarism is the act of taking and using

another’s ideas and works and passing them off as one owns . This includes

explicitly copying the whole work of another person and /or using some parts of their

work without proper acknowledgement and referencing.

2. I, hereby attest to the originality of this research proposal and has cited properly all

the references used. I further commit that all deliverables and the final research

study emanating from this proposal shall be of original content. I shall use

appropriate citations in referencing other works from various sources.

3. I understand that violation from this declaration and commitment shall be subject to

consequences and shall be dealt with accordingly by the Department of Education.

PROPONENT: VIVIAN C. SILVA

SIGNATURE:

______________________

DATE: July 25,2018

C. RESEARCH INFORMATION

RESEARCH TITLE:
SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE RESEARCH

This study determined the needs of teachers in terms of learner’s diversity

and inclusion, content and pedagogy, assessment and reporting,21st century skills

and ICT integration, curriculum contextualization and Deped thrusts and policies.
 Moreover, the problems being encountered by schools in the conduct of SLAC

processes was also given emphasis As an output, a plan of action was proposed

to further improve the process of conducting SLAC.

The study used the descriptive method of research with the questionnaire

as its main tool in gathering data complemented with interview to substantiate the

analysis of data gathered from the questionnaire.

This study was done in the District of Calaca with a total of thirty

respondents comprising of school heads and teachers as subjects of the study.

RESEARCH CATEGORY ( check only RESEARCH AGENDA CATEGORY
one) (check only one main research theme)
o National o Teaching and Learning

o Region o Child Protection

o Schools Division o Human Resource Development

o District o Governance

o School (check up to one cross-cutting theme, if

applicable)
(Check only one) o DRRM
o Action Research
o Gender and Development
o Basic Research
o Inclusive Education

Others (please specify):____

__________
FUND SOURCE ( e.g. BERF, SEF, AMOUNT
Others)
MOOE ( supplies) 450.00

Personal Fund ( merienda ) 1500.00

 Indicate also if the proponent will use personal funds

D. PROPONENT INFORMATION
LEAD PROPONENT/INDIVIDUAL PROPONENT

LAST NAME: FIRST NAME MIDDLE NAME:

SILVA VIVIAN CASANOVA
BIRTHDATE (MM/DD/YYYY SEX: POSITION/DESIGNATION:
09/18/1978 FEMALE PRINCIPAL-I

REGION/DIVISION/SCHOOL(which ever is applicable)

LUMBANG NA MATANDA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
CONTACT NUMBER 1: CONTACT NUMBER 2: EMAIL ADDRESS:
N/A vivian.silva @deped.gov.ph
0928-163-6898

EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT TITLE OF THESIS/RELATED RESEARCH PROJECT

(DEGREE TITLE)

Enumerate from Bachelor’s Degree

up to Doctorate degree

Master of Arts in Education Major in School Paper Management in the Elementary

Administration Schools of the District of Calaca

Doctor of Education Local Government Programs and Projects and

their Impact to School Performance
SIGNATURE OF PROPONENT:

IMMEDIATE SUPERVISOR’S CONFORME

I hereby endorse the attached research proposal. I certify that the proponent/s
has/have the capacity to implement a research study without compromising their office
functions.

ANABEL R. MARASIGAN, Ed.D.

Name and Signature of Immediate Supervisor

Position/Designation: PRINCIPAL I

Date: July 25,2018

 CALACA DISTRICT ACTION RESEARCH TEAM

ANABEL R. MARASIGAN, Ed.D

Chairperson

CERILINA A. MANALO
Co-Chairperson

MEMBERS:

GLORIA C. SALAZAR

VIVIAN C. SILVA

CLARISSA PENIZ

EDILBERTA R. MANALO

ANNEX 3: Declaration of Anti- Plagiarism and Absence of Conflict of Interest

DECLARATION OF ANTI-PLAGIARISM

4. I , VIVIAN C. SILVA understand that plagiarism is the act of taking and using

another’s ideas and works and passing them off as one owns . This includes

explicitly copying the whole work of another person and /or using some parts of their

work without proper acknowledgement and referencing.

 5. I, hereby attest to the originality of this research proposal and has cited properly all

the references used. I further commit that all deliverables and the final research

study emanating from this proposal shall be of original content. I shall use

appropriate citations in referencing other works from various sources.

6. I understand that violation from this declaration and commitment shall be subject to

consequences and shall be dealt with accordingly by the Department of Education.

PROPONENT: VIVIAN C. SILVA

SIGNATURE:

______________________

DATE: July 25,2018

The Top 10 Benefits Of

Ongoing Staff Training And
Development
By Angus Gill -
Nov 3, 2014

LinkedInTwitterFacebook141Google+Email

Employee training not only provides benefits to the individual, but also to the
business, helping your company to continue running effectively. However, once you
have run initial job training, such as with a new employee, is there a need for any
further training investment?

Training, and especially ongoing training, is a key area for debate in many
boardrooms. However, there are a number of reasons to suggest that initial training
should only be the first step of a longer-term process. Regular training is well worth
the investment because building up the skills within the business will effectively
improve your company’s bottom line.

Top 10 benefits of ongoing corporate training

A business should never stand still and so nor should the development of your staff,
who are the key asset in driving your business forward. Regular staff training is
essential in helping this ongoing skill development. This can often be a worry to
business managers though, due to its ongoing cost to the business. However, if you
look past this, there are a number of important reasons why ongoing staff training
can be beneficial to the business and should therefore be made a priority. With a
quality training plan in place, you will also see your return on investment within your
balance sheet!

Take a look below at 10 top benefits of ongoing staff development:

 Keep up with industry changes

Industries are constantly changing and so it is important for a business to
develop to avoid being left behind. It’s also important to make sure your
business is complying with any industry regulations, which can be
 achieved through ongoing training, making sure your staff’s skills and
knowledge are up-to-date.
 Be in touch with all the latest technology developments
New technology is being developed all the time and so it is not sufficient to
run a one-off training session. Regular training needs to take place to
ensure that staff are using all the latest technology comfortably and to its
full potential. This can be achieved through implementing a customised
staff IT training program, and by integrating employee training with IT
support.
 Stay ahead of competitors
Standing still can kill your business, so by making sure your staff are
constantly advancing, you will continue to move forward are remain
competitive within the marketplace.
 Be able to see weaknesses and skill gaps
With regular training, a business can more easily identify any gaps in the
market and skill gaps within the existing workforce. By identifying these
gaps early, there is time to train staff in these required areas so they can
fulfil the role effectively.
 Maintain knowledge and skill
Although one off training may be provided to new starters, or other
employees, it’s important that training schemes are put in place to help
develop skills throughout their job. To retain knowledge, skills need to be
practiced and refreshed on a regular basis so elements aren’t forgotten.
 Advance employee skills
Once a business has spent money on providing basic level skills, these
can easily be built upon and improved to provide much more benefit to the
business. Staff that know more can bring more to the table, and your
business will reap the rewards.
 Provide an incentive to learn
If training is provided as part of a longer development pathway, employees
will have much more incentive to learn, participate in the session and put
their new skills into practice.
 Increase job satisfaction levels
Through continued investment from the business, staff can have a much
 higher sense of job satisfaction, which can improve their motivation
towards their work. This reduces employee turnover and increases
productivity, which directly improves the profitability. It also prevents
competitors from taking away your best employees by offering training
incentives.
 Provide internal promotion opportunities
Employing new staff involves high recruitment costs and hiring fees.
However, with ongoing training, your existing staff can become more
eligible for internal promotions. Unlike new staff, you can guarantee they
have a complete knowledge of your business, the correct skill set and are
people that you know and trust.
 Attract new talent
All businesses want to have the best employees and so with ongoing
training, this will not only mean better staff retention, but the business may
also attract better talent from the start, as this gives the business a good
image and is a key feature many people look for within their job search.

As you can see, ongoing training is important not just to employee development, but
it also affects the success of your business.

Many businesses are now starting to see the importance of training and investing in
their staff, with Forbes reporting company spending is on the rise, with $130 Billion
USD spent worldwide in 2013. However, training should not be seen as a one-off
exception, but as a regular necessity, to help fill skill gaps and keep the business
moving forward successfully.

Just like any other business investment though, there needs to be an organised plan
put into place. This will help to provide more structure and allow employees to know
what to expect. Therefore, before jumping into finding training providers, it’s
important to step back and think about a few key areas:

 Skills – Make sure you take your time to find out what skills your staff
would like to develop and why, as well as working out where you want to
be in the industry and what skills are needed to get you there. Any training
 you provide should be transferable and relevant to your employee’s
current job, to keep them engaged in the overall process.
 Frequency – You should also consider the frequency of training, to
achieve the medium and long-term improvements. It is a careful balance,
to make sure there is enough training, but not too much that staff lose
interest or struggle to keep up with their daily work tasks.
 Delivery – You should also look at the many different types of training that
are available, to decide what is best for your specific business. As well as
one-to-one training, you could also have group sessions, or eLearning
which is now a very popular route and requires less time away from the
business.

Is your organisation having trouble with staff retention, onboarding or skills

development? Get in touch with Saxons Learning Solutions to discuss your technical
training needs, or Saxons Training Facilities to discover Australia’s premier training
venues.

Angus Gill - The Top 10 Benefits Of Ongoing Staff Training And Development
Nov 3, 2014

http://www.saxonsgroup.com.au/blog/human-resources/top-10-benefits-of-ongoing-

staff-training-development/

Teacher Learning and Continuous Professional Development: relevant findings

To help young people learn the more complex and analytical skills they need for the

21st century, teachers must learn in ways that develop higher-order thinking and

performance. To develop the sophisticated teaching required for this mission, they

must be offered more and more effective professional learning. Meaningful learning

is a slow and uncertain process for teachers as well as for students, with some

elements that are more easily changed than others, according to the interplay with
teachers’ deeply-rooted beliefs and attitudes. A wide, all-encompassing

conceptualization of teacher learning and development within communities and

contexts is offered by Shulman & Shulman: it includes the key elements of vision,

motivation, understanding, practice, reflection and community. The findings

presented here come from studies which mostly conceptualize teacher learning and

development as a process of active individual construction and enculturation into

social practices – linked to changes in participation in socially organized activities,

and to individuals’ use of knowledge as an aspect of their participation in social

practices. However, the following overview of findings also takes into account the

perspectives of evaluation literature and impact studies, in that they can contribute to

understanding which features of professional development can actually make a

difference.

Borko, 2004; Franke & Kazemi, 2001; Greeno, 2003; Shulman & Shulman, 2004

It might be useful here to distinguish between professional learning and professional

development, which often appear distinct in theory and in practice. If ‘professionals

learn from experience and that learning is ongoing through active engagement in

practice’, professional development features and delivery have often appeared at

odds in several countries and realities so far, extracting professionals from their key

professional learning environments (schools and classrooms) and assuming that

experts know best what contents and kind of PD teachers need.

Bruce et al., 2010; Sankaran et al., 2011; Webster-Wright, 2009

© European Commission 10

In contrast with traditional CPD perspectives, teacher professional learning is now

mostly conceptualized in the literature as dynamic, ongoing, continuous, and set in

teachers’ daily lives - embedded in the classroom context and constructed through

experience and practice, in sustained, iterative cycles of goal setting, planning,

practicing, and reflecting. Teacher learning should therefore be embedded in the

daily life of the school and provide opportunities to inquire systematically about

teaching practices, their impact on students and about other issues of teachers’

work. Examples of different types of collaborative, job-embedded professional

learning activities can be: - the analysis of the school’s culture; - peer observations

of practice; - small-scale classroom studies about students’ written work; - analysis

of student data; - study groups; - involvement in a development or improvement

process (designing or choosing new curricula or textbooks; assisting with the school

improvement plan); - case studies about patterns in students’ classroom behaviour.

The collective participation of teachers from the same department, grade or subject

is more likely to be coherent with their experiences, afford opportunities for active

learning, and contribute to a shared professional culture – the development of a

common understanding of instructional goals, methods, problems and solutions.

According to recent research, teachers agreed that the most popular long-term

professional development activities were peer observation and sharing practice.

Birman et al., 2000; Boyle et al., 2005; Desimone, 2009; Guskey, 2000; Hofman &

Dijkstra, 2010; Sato, Wei & Darling-Hammond, 2008

As part of this model of professional learning, the importance of teacher

collaboration comes to the fore. Traditionally, teaching is understood to be a

‘uniquely isolated profession’; nevertheless, teacher collaboration is identified by

researchers and educators as one of the most relevant features of school culture in

order to foster teacher learning, satisfaction and effectiveness. Collaboration arising

from deep, individual and continuous interest is clearly hard to achieve, requiring

trust and risktaking; the ‘de-privatization’ of teaching implies changes of deeply-

rooted norms, cultures and practices.

Hindin, Morocco, Mott & Aguilar, 2007; Fullan, 2007; Fullan, Hill & Crevola, 2006;

Puchner & Taylor, 2006

The relevance of teacher efficacy for teacher effectiveness, as related to powerful

CPD experiences, ought also to be mentioned. The literature on

Bruce et al., 2010; Bandura, 1997; Bruce & Ross, 2008;

© European Commission 11

the topic defines teacher efficacy as the teacher’s self-assessment of one’s own

ability to support student learning; it is described as related to teachers’ persistence

facing obstacles in order to meet goals in their practice, as well as with the tendency

to changing, taking risks and experimenting. Among the sources of teacher efficacy,

the key ones appear to be mastery experiences (i.e. direct teaching experiences that

are challenging but successful), together with vicarious experiences (observations of

peers of similar ability levels, teaching challenging ideas successfully) and

social/verbal persuasion (receiving positive feedback from students, peers and

superiors). Teacher efficacy is therefore strongly connected to teacher professional

learning opportunities that can provide mastery and vicarious experiences, thus

raising teachers’ personal competence levels. Schoolembedded professional

learning opportunities can thus answer to selfdirected desires for instructional

change, which can then provide the motivation to sustain efforts and overcome

obstacles. A key pocket of research, finally, has consistently linked teacher efficacy

and student achievement, indicating the former as a reliable precursor to, and

predictor of, the latter. There seems to be an indirect but powerful relationship

between increasing teacher efficacy and increased student achievement; research

theorizations indicate that teacher efficacy, mediated by contextual factors, impacts

what teacher learn from CPD, and how they learn, with reciprocal and reverberating

effects.

Pintrich & Schunk, 2002; Palardy & Rumberger, 2008; Puchner & Taylor, 2006;

Tschannen-Moran & Woolfolk Hoy, 2001; Zambo & Zambo, 2008

Impact studies regarding teachers’ high quality professional learning and

development have by now reached a research-based (theoretical and empirical)

consensus on the critical features of PD – those which make an activity effective for

increasing teacher learning and changing practice, and ultimately for improving

student learning. There are at least five core features of effective professional

learning and development, on which there is research consensus, stemming from a

great number and diversity of studies (both case studies, large-scale and

experimental research) conducted since 2000, with the proposal of a core

conceptual framework for studying professional learning and development’s impact

on teachers and students. The five core features of effective teacher learning and

development are the following: - content focus; - active learning; - coherence; -

duration;

Desimone, 2009; Desimone et al., 2002; Garet et al., 2001

© European Commission 12

- collective participation. Such a foundational framework considers both teacher

change and instructional change, and operates with context as an important

mediator and moderator, with several key influences: - student characteristics; -

individual teacher characteristics; - contextual factors of classroom, local

professional community, school, district; - policy conditions at multiple levels.

Teachers’ powerful learning is thus seen as enhanced: - when there is collective

participation and effective staff communication; - in teacher networks and study

groups; - in professional development programmes that are longer, sustained and

intensive, since traditional episodic, fragmented approaches do not allow rigorous,

cumulative learning; - when CPD is part of a coherent, integrated professional

development programme of the school – that is, school curriculum, assessment,

standards and CPD should be linked.vi

Borko, 2004; Cochran-Smith, 2001; Darling-Hammond & Richardson, 2009;

Greenleaf, Schoenbach, Cziko & Mueller, 2001; Hofman & Dijkstra, 2010; Knapp,
2003; Teddlie & Reynolds, 2000; Ten Dam & Blom , 2006; Weiss & Paisley, 2006;

Wilson & Berne, 1999; Yoon et al., 2007

The kind of CPD most likely to affect teaching positively is therefore of the ‘hands-

on’ kind, and has the following characteristics: - a considerable duration; - a clear

theoretical rationale grounded in research, and a strong knowledge base; - is based

on collaborative, active learning and teaching (not on a oneshot lecture or a ‘drive-

by’ workshop), as well as on feedback; - is delivered to a team of teachers (same

age group, subject, school…) - is focused on specific content knowledge / strategies

(not general), helping teachers develop the pedagogical skills to teach specific

content, with strong positive effects on practice; - is coherent, practical, focused on

students’ learning of content and on the examination of students’ work, in relation to

standards for what students should know and be able to do. Active learning should

include opportunities for reciprocal observation, co-planning and co-teaching, as well

as presenting, leading or writing activities. In this way, teachers can have powerful

understandings of the subjects they teach (i.e., PCK – Pedagogical Subject

Knowledge), of students’ thinking, and of effective instructional practices.

Birman et al., 2000; Borko, 2004: Ingvarson, Meiers & Beavis, 2005; Snow-Renner

& Lauer, 2005; Teddlie & Reynolds, 2000

© European Commission 13
Collaborative CPD turns out to be more effective than individual CPD: - to promote

changes in teachers’ practices, attitudes or beliefs; - for changes in teachers’

classroom behaviours, as well as in their attitudes to professional development ; - for

improvements in pupils’ learning, and changes in their behaviour and attitudes; -

collective work provides a basis for inquiry and reflection, to raise issues, take risks

and address dilemmas in teachers’ practice, opening avenues for ‘de-privatising’

teachers’ practice; - collegial learning in trusting environments helps develop

communities of practice to promote school change beyond the individual classroom;

- a staff culture involving mutual learning, monitoring and commitment to

collaboration is found to be a key feature of effective schools; - fair uniformity of

effective teacher behaviours, as linked with good socialization processes within

schools, seems to be a recurring characteristic of effective schools.

Darling-Hammond & Richardson, 2009; General Teaching Council UK, 2005;

Ingvarson, Meiers & Beavis, 2005; Perez et al., 2007; Teddlie & Reynolds, 2000

To improve classroom practice, CPD should therefore be: - collaborative and

extended over time; - include time for practice, coaching, and follow-up; - be

grounded in students’ curriculum, and aligned with local policies; - be job-embedded

and connected to several elements of instruction (e.g., assessments, curriculum).

Cohen and Hill, 2000; DarlingHammond & Richardson, 2009

To sum up, among the key factors that seem to inspire teachers to change their

classroom practices, there are the following: - collaboration and joint work with other

teachers on concrete tasks and problem-solving, supporting teachers’ mutual aid,

responsibility, initiative and leadership; - observation and assessment/ feedback

processes; - inquiry and reflection on own and others’ beliefs and behaviours; -

teacher educators and mentors modelling the new teaching practices, encouraging

teachers to implement them, and constructing opportunities for teachers to share

their learning and reflections; - practical courses connected to the reality of

classroom activities.

Darling-Hammond & Richardson, 2009; Eaton & Carbone, 2008; Garet et al., 2001

An approach meeting all these criteria is the professional learning community (PLC)

paradigm, increasingly featured in the literature, and mentioned in previous

paragraphs. In this model, teachers are engaged in ongoing work and dialogue

together, to examine their practice and student performance, develop and implement

more effective

Darling-Hammond & Richardson, 2009; Seago, 2004

© European Commission 14

instructional practices in their specific context, producing and sharing new

knowledge and expertise. The efforts to develop collaborative learning and working

are often limited by individualistic and bureaucratic norms or structures in many

contexts. Developing collaborative CPD – i.e. building a professional learning

community - appears a slow, demanding process characterized by conflicts and

misunderstandings, where participants form a group identity with norms of

interaction and shared responsibility for growth, learning to use difference and

conflict productively. Since the focus is on improving instructional practice, the

identification of problems implies making one’s teaching practice public and adopting

an inquiry stance. The context conditions that seem to support joint, collaborative

CPD have been found to be the following: - smaller school size and common

planning time; - lower staffing complexity; - the empowerment of teachers as

decision makers; - supportive leadership; - mutual respect steeped in strong

professional knowledge; - a collectively held standard of teaching quality for

teachers to describe, discuss and adjust their practices accordingly; - a climate

supporting risk taking and innovation.

Little, 2003

Finally, the overall impact of CPD programmes on teachers’ practice, student

learning and teacher efficacy ought to be evaluated within a conceptual framework,

considering its relationships with structural features (contact hours, time span,

collective participation), opportunity to learn features (content focus, active learning,

follow-up support, collaborative examination of students’ work, feedback on

practice), and mediating or moderating key factors spanning all the levels of the

‘onionrings’ model (see Appendix). The opportunity to learn features, according to

the Australian study by Ingvarson et al., appear to have the largest effect on CPD

outcomes – in particular, active learning seems to have a pervasive and generative

influence on teachers’ practice. Also the role of follow-up and ‘at the elbow’

coaching appears to be noteworthy, together with the importance of school context.

A vital ingredient for effective CPD is a substantial level of professional community

where teachers have time to think, analyse and talk about what students are
learning and doing, and where principals and administrators expect evidence of

professional development and value teacher learning.

Desimone, 2009; Ingvarson, Meiers & Beavis, 2005

References Anderson,

J.R., Greeno, J.G., Reder, L.M. & Simon, H.A. (2000). Perspectives on learning,

thinking, and activity. Educational Researcher, 29, 11-13. Angrist, J.D. & Lavy, V.

(2001). Does Teacher Training Affect Pupil Learning? Evidence from Matched

Comparisons in Jerusalem Public Schools. Journal of Labor Economics, Vol. 19(2),

pp. 343-369. Bandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy: The exercise of control. New York:

W.H. Freeman. Birman, B.F., Desimone, L., Porter, A.C. & Garet, M.S. (2000).

Designing Professional Development that works. Educational Leadership, May 2000

(Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development).

Bolam, R., McMahon, A., Stoll, L., Thomas, S., Wallace, M., Greenwood, A.,

Hawkey, K., Ingram, M., Atkinson, A. & Smith, M. (2005). Creating and sustaining

effective professional learning communities. Research Report 637. London: DfES

and University of

Bristol. Borko, L. (2004). Professional Development and teacher learning: Mapping

the terrain. Educational Researcher,

33(8)<http://www.aera.net/uploadedFiles/Journals_and_Publications/Journals/Educa

tional_Researcher /Volume_33_No_8/02_ERv33n8_Borko.pdf> Boyle, B.,

Lamprianou, I., & Boyle, T. (2005). A longitudinal study of teacher change: what

makes professional development effective? Report of the second year of the study.

School Effectiveness and School Improvements, 16, 1-27.

Hofman, R.H. & Dijkstra, B.J. (2010). Effective teacher professionalization in

networks? Teaching and Teacher Education, 26, 1031-1040. Bruce, C.D., Esmonde,

I., Ross, J., Dookie, L. & Beatty, R. (2010). The effects of sustained

classroomembedded teacher professional learning on teacher efficacy and related

student achievement. Teaching and Teacher Education (in press),

doi:10.1016/j.tate.2010.06.011.

Bruce, C. D., & Ross, J. A. (2008). A model for increasing reform implementation

and teacher efficacy: teacher peer coaching in grade 3 and 6 mathematics.

Canadian Journal of Education, 31(2), 346-370. Clarke, D.J. & Hollingsworth, H.

(2002). Elaborating a model of teacher professional growth. Teaching and Teacher

Education, 18, 947-967.

Coburn, C.E. (2004). Beyond decoupling: Rethinking the relationship between the

institutional environment and the classroom. Sociology of Education, 77, 211-244.

Cohen, D. K., & Hill, H. C. (2000). Instructional policy and classroom performance:

The mathematics reform in California. Teachers College Record, 102(2), 294–343.

Conclusions of the Council and of the Representatives of the Governments of the

Member States, meeting within the Council of 15 November 2007, on improving the
quality of teacher education. 2007/C 300/07. Conclusions of the Council and of the

Representatives of the Governments of the Member States, meeting within the

Council of 21 November 2008 on preparing young people for the 21st century: an

agenda for European cooperation on schools. 2008/C 319/08.

Dam, G. ten & Blom, S. (2006). Learning through participation. The potential of

school-based teacher education for developing a professional identity. Teaching and

Teacher Education, 22, 647-660.

Darling Hammond, L., Holtzman, D.J., et al. (2005). Does teacher preparation

matter? Evidence about

Teacher Professional Development: the international state of the art

Reference

The significant, positive correlations between teacher quality and student

achievement, as most important within-school factors explaining performance, and

between in-service training and student outcomes, are consistently borne out by

research.

Angrist & Lavy, 2001; Darling-Hammond et al., 2005; Rivkin, Hanushek, Kain,

2005; Rockoff, 2004

The European Union, focusing on high quality teaching as key prerequisite for high

quality education and training, highlights the school’s duty to provide young citizens
with the competences they need to adapt to globalised, complex environments,

where creativity, innovation, initiative, entrepreneurship and commitment to

continuous learning are as important as knowledge. In particular, promoting the

development of teachers’ competence in teaching transversal competences and

heterogeneous classes, and collaborating with colleagues and parents, are seen as

essential.

Council Resolution 2007/C 300/07 of 15.11.07; Council Resolution 2008/C 319/08

of 21.11.08

Although the complexities of the teaching profession require a lifelong learning

perspective to adapt to fast changes and evolving constraints or needs, international

studies on teachers and their professional development have shown that so far, in-

service training is considered as a professional duty in about a half of all European

states, but it is in practice optional in many of them. Incentives to encourage

participation in CPD appear few, and penalties for no participation are rare. In

accordance with the degree of centralization/ decentralization in national education

systems, the responsibility for planning and organizing CPD, falls to schools or local

authorities in a certain number of countries (among others, the Netherlands, the UK

and Ireland, as well as most Nordic and Eastern European countries).

European Commission, 2007; OECD, 2005; Eurydice, 2009

The forms of support to teachers’ professional development can consist in paid

working time and substitutions (often discouraged for budget and organisational

reasons), funding of CPD costs sustained by teachers, salary incentives, CPD as

condition for salary progression and promotion, national policies and campaigns

(such as the recent one in Sweden).

OECD, 2005

An organized plan of support measures for new teachers in the first years of their

career - the most demanding and decisive stage of teachers’ development - is

foreseen in only a small group of EU countries, among which the UK, Luxembourg

and Lithuania seem to have a wide range of support activities. Induction

programmes are reported as mandatory in

OECD TALIS, 2009

© European Commission 3

only ten states of the OECD study, with Canada (Quebec), Switzerland and some

US states offering the longest support (two years). The form, content and context

conditions of teachers’ professional development (CPD) are extensively described

and analyzed in OECD’s recent TALIS survey, focussed on fostering educational

performance and effectiveness, outlining key variables for effectiveness in teachers.

The survey, which is based on the perceptions and self-reports of lower secondary

education teachers, points out that CPD activities appear to be relatively loosely

linked with school practices in the areas of instruction, evaluation and feedback, and

school leadership; this seems to recommend policies aimed at a stronger integration

of different functional domains of schooling. In the following literature review,

professional development is defined, in accordance with the perspectives of several

studies taken into account by the TALIS survey, as related to activities developing

an individual’s skills, knowledge, expertise and other characteristics as a teacher

(excluding

What does CPD mean?

CPD stands for Continuing Professional Development. It refers to the process of
tracking and documenting the skills, knowledge and experience that you gain both
formally and informally as you work, beyond any initial training. It's a record of what
you experience, learn and then apply. The term is generally used to mean a physical
folder or portfolio documenting your development as a professional. Some
organisations use it to mean a training or development plan, which I would argue is
not strictly accurate. This article is about CPD as a process of recording and
reflecting on learning and development.
What is it for?
The CPD process helps you manage your own development on an ongoing basis.
It's function is to help you record, review and reflect on what you learn. It's not a tick-
box document recording the training you have completed. It's broader than that.
Training and development - what's the difference?
These terms are often used interchangeably, though there is a distinction. As a rule
of thumb, training is formal and linear. It's to do with learning how to do something
specific, relating to skill and competence. Training can be as simple as using a PC
application and as complex as learning how to be a pilot. Development is often
informal and has a wider application, giving you the tools to do a range of things and
relating to capability and competency. It involves progression from basic know-how
to more advanced, mature or complex understanding.  Alternatively it can be about
widening your range of transferable skills like leadership, managing projects or
organising information.
The key features of the CPD process
 To justify the name, a CPD needs to:
 be a documented process
 be self-directed: driven by you, not your employer
 focus on learning from experience, reflective learning and review
 help you set development goals and objectives
 include both formal and informal learning.
What will it do for you?
A CPD may be a requirement of membership of a professional body. It can help you
to reflect, review and document your learning and to develop and update your
professional knowledge and skills. It is also very useful to:
 provides an overview of your professional development to date
 reminds you of your achievements and how far you've progressed
 directs your career and helps you keep your eye on your goals
 uncovers gaps in your skills and capabilities
 Opens up further development needs
 provides examples and scenarios for a CV or interview
 demonstrates your professional standing to clients and employers
 helps you with your career development or a possible career change. 
How do I start?
Keep a learning log and record your thoughts in whatever way suits you best. You
may find it helpful to write things down in detail, for example, or to make notes on
insights and learning points. The process of writing makes you think about your
experiences at the time, and makes planning and reflection much easier. You can't
review your experiences without recording them, however good your memory is.
Answering the following questions may help you to get started:
Where am I now?
Review and reflect on any learning experiences over the previous year or over the
past three months. Write your thoughts down about what you learned, what insights
it gave you and what you might have done differently. Include both formal training
events and informal learning, such as:
 learning from colleagues or shared learning from networking
 reading about new technologies, new methods of working, legislative changes
 shadowing or assisting an experienced colleague
 insights and learning points from coaching and mentoring
 reflections, insights and learning points from taking on a new responsibility
 organisational or role change
 temporary job swaps within the department/organisation
 deputising or covering for colleagues
 insights and lessons learned from mistakes
 lessons learned from critical incidents or events
Make a note of any outcomes of each learning experience and what difference it has
made to you, your colleagues, your students (if relevant) or your employer.
Where do I want to be?
Write down your overall career goals - where you want to be in two, five and 10
years' time. Then write down no more than three specific and achievable shorter
term objectives, including the dates by which you want to achieve them.
What do I have to do to get there?
Looking at your overall career goals, make a note of what you need to do to achieve
them. This could include further training, job or role progression or changes in
direction.
For shorter term objectives, include the first step - what you can do today or
tomorrow. For example, having a chat with your manager about a new responsibility
or finding out about new technology from a colleague who has experience of it.
When should I review progress?
This step is essential! You'll need to set a date in advance for review of the
objectives you've set yourself. You can either do this from one review to the next or
decide to review regularly - once every three, six or 12 months. Put it in your diary
and do it! The cycle of continuing professional development has begun.
Following this article, you may find jobs.ac.uk's CPD eGuide useful.

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Writers Profile
Melanie Allen is a Career, Life and Leadership Coach working in Yorkshire. She
brings over 20 years of writing and developing Career Development, Leadership and
Coaching training, several publications and plenty of life experience to her work.
She completed her Diploma in Advanced Executive Coaching from the Academy of
Executive Coaching in 2003. Since then she has established her coaching business,
working with organisational and private clients both face to face and over the phone.
Visit the website: www.melanieallen.co.uk for more information.

Article Published: Jul, 2009

https://www.jobs.ac.uk/careers-advice/managing-your-career/1318/what-is-

continuing-professional-development-cpd