Melded learning - teacher CPD

Improve your approach to CPD by taking a melded learning approach.

Melded learning : starting with a goal, it is the use of multiple ways of improving knowledge, understanding and skill to achieve a learning goal with the aid of others.

A key advantage is the ownership of the goal by the person.

Melded learning can be achieved at different levels of intensity and breadth. For example, you can start small and use it with just a small group (e.g. a group of colleagues working on a specific objective), or you can move to melded learning being the beating heart of the CPD policy.

Key Concept

Into the pool of melded learning there needs to be knowledge and collaboration. One on its own is not sufficient. Paying lip service, or being deluded about the quality of one or both of these factors, will impact on outcome. Following the advice on this blog will help you to ensure both are strong. Development takes place in four stages: readiness, knowledge building, collaboration and specialise.

What is the goal?

Two often we make the twilight training, the workshop, or an online lesson the centre of the CPD. This puts the responsibility on the person delivering, rather than the person accessing the training. CPD must always start with the person knowing the goal and being responsible for achieving it. What behaviours do they need to embody to help them achieve the goal? The twilight training might help them, the online module might support them, but they are not the answer in and of themselves.

For this to happen, leaders need to take particular action:

1. Work with colleagues individually or at whole school level to set clearly defined goals.

2. Have agreement as to the behaviours likely to bring about professional growth.

3. Give the proper time and resources to support the learner to be successful.

4. Communicate that the focus is on the goal, and the responsibility lies with the learner to achieve professional growth.

5. Engage in regular conversations that help learners reflect on their progress towards the professional growth goal and the learning that is taking place.

6. Set high expectations and high accountability levels for demonstrating professional growth.

7. Ensure there is recognition for achievement.

Example of a shared goal for a group: 'I am the SENCO and I also lead on interventions. My CPD goal is to learn about the most effective ways of providing reading fluency intervention so that we can ensure our interventions are as strong, effective, and matched correctly to pupils. The aim to to reduce by 50% the number of pupils who have reading fluency as a limiting factor. I am in a team with colleagues who have the same goal (with different application). The team consists of the headteacher, the English leader, the KS1 leader. We will be defining underpinning principles, setting out a checklist, learning what best practice looks like, experimenting with programmes and practice."

Example: "I am the oracy leader and my aim is to create a structured progression chart of oracy skills pupils should achieve that can be used by teachers when planning and assessing. To do this, I need to build my understanding of the skills required and the likely progression, as well as understand our current school position so we can build on current practice. I am working with a group of leaders across our trust."

Example: 'I am a Year 4 teacher. My CPD goal is to enhance my practice in teaching nonfiction writing so that the as a school we can secure better progression and achieve higher standards in writing (data). The key stage are focusing on information texts and instruction texts. We aim to develop a shared understanding of pitch, set out the sentence level work we expect each year group to focus on, develop our perspective on teaching children about audience and purpose, and increase our understanding of how to address common problems'

Always start with the goal. The more precise the goal is the better. Then consider how different forms of learning will help to achieve that goal.

New opportunities; new ways of learning.

Are you taking advantage of both online and offline adult learning?

You can learn almost anything online. If you want to.

Are you creating the access needed, e.g. subscriptions to research sites, membership to quality online professional learning videos, relevant online courses, curation of podcasts?

Confidence in using technology has in the past often been a barrier to using online learning for staff development in school. Now, teachers skills and confidence in using technology for learning is often a strength that can be capitalised on.

Technology offers teachers the opportunities to study at a depth and breadth that previous was unaffordable. Online sources provide schools with different CPD options - colleagues can work together or colleagues can work self-paced; colleagues can all study the same content or content can be matched to individual need; colleagues can learn from one source or multiple; they can access CPD locally or internationally.

However, success with online learning requires many of the same components as offline learning, e.g.:

• a sense of direction,

• a clear goal,

• time and energy to commit to the training,

• like minded people to work alongside,

• deadlines for completion,

• quality materials,

• structure for conversations.

  
  

  And online external sources work best when they are combined with in-school sources of learning:

• circles of colleagues in school to discuss and debate with,

• people to plan lessons with,

• colleagues who bring different perspectives and experience to the offline conversations,

• 1:1 support,

• monitoring and feedback on changes to classroom practice (or leadership),

• books to dig deeper into aspects of study,

• research documents to unpick the theory and practice.

  
  

  LEADERSHIP:

  And who co-ordinates this? Who sets the direction? Who sets out the time frame? Who maintains momentum? Who motivates the team? So much more can be achieved if leaders invest in the strategy.

Leaders set the strategy

Success with melded learning does not happen by magic; it requires -

• a positive learning culture,

• a genuine desire to invest in the workforce,

• a commitment to quality learning,

• a clear focus on goals to be achieved,

• a big picture plan,

• effective organisation,

• high-quality ongoing dialogue,

• careful monitoring and evaluation.

Leaders need to approach melded learning strategically and have a genuine commitment to professional development. The rewards can be amazing - but to unlock potential takes skillful leadership.

When designing adult learning:

Let's start with considering the components that should be part of any adult learning programme.

Consider how each of these are:

• timetabled,

• supported,

• planned in advance.

Do not take for granted that adults can achieve these easily.

They often work best when there is a skilled facilitator aiding critical thinking, supporting collaboration, enabling synthesis to be captured. Consider training leads.

Look at the 7 items in the model above : ask yourselves as a senior leadership team how are you ensuring that all of the elements are strong when trying to achieve an objective through CPD?

• Use it as a checklist for planning.

• Use the model in discussions with colleagues.

• Ask colleagues to regularly look at the model and reflect on how they are engaging in different types of thinking towards a learning goal.

7 brick components image.pdf

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CPD design 7 components.pdf

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Stages of adult learning and preparing the way

Learning has to start from the point of building knowledge. We sometimes 'don't know what we don't know'. A good knowledge base allows for accurate assessment of the current state, identification of a desired future, an understanding of the gap between the two. Discussion is likely to be unsuccessful in creating a better future unless the parties have knowledge to share, debate, utilise (etc.,).

Due to its significance, I highlight the words of this section.

How might you be able to use the 4 circles to develop a structured approach to CPD - see diagram and explanation below.

How might training and discourse on being an effective adult learner lead to better outcomes?

Moving from the inner to the outer layers of the circle - and moving between the layers. This four layer model can be useful in planning a way forward.

Also see the work of Diep, Anh Nguyet. Adult learners' needs in online and blended learning, Australian Journal of Adult Learning, Vol 59, No 2, July 2019. You can download the above diagram as a PDF.

melded learning concentric circles.pdf

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Each layer builds on from the last, but can also be returned to.

Circle 1 Readiness: It is important that participants are informed about what is expected of them as learners and are provided with optimal physical conditions to learn, e.g. space, time, equipment. At the lower end of the framework, we deal with physiology and safety aspects of Maslow's hierarchy of needs. For example, clarity of goals, success criteria, transparency of how progress / impact will be measured and assessed, time lines, programme structures all help to relieve uncertainty and enable colleagues to feel safe. In this circle, schools should address issues related to resources and equipment, technical support and confidence, e.g. how to use the online platform, confidence in using zoom technology for virtual meetings, ability to use brainstorming software; and confidence for actual learning, e.g. study buddy, allocation to a team/group, a lead facilitator or coach, dedicated time to talk about themselves as a learner and their progress towards the goal.

Adult learners should continue to advance their learning skills - we should not make assumptions that all teachers/TAs are effective at continued professional development. We should talk and discuss how to get the most from professional learning. For example, in university courses and A levels learning tends to focus on individual performance, whereas school improvement relies on collective performance. Teachers should consider not just how to improve their individual performance but ask, 'How do we work together effectively to ensure the whole team are competent and skilled? How do we achieve consistency? What does progress look like in different phases and what part do we each each play in securing progress?' Prior to entering the teaching profession colleagues may have engaged in courses that had a very well defined curriculum to follow and an examination to work towards, whereas in schools it may be up to colleagues to set out the content to be covered and the skills to be learned, and consider how performance will be measured! This is quite different from previous learning experiences.

Investing time in readiness will reap rewards later.

The readiness circle also includes understanding WHY professional development is necessary. How does the training and learning link to school improvement? "it provides a raison d’etre for the investment of effort in both individual and collaborative learning activities, given the limited time adults can reserve for learning. This is significant because while the learning itself normally intrinsically motivates adult learners, they are also goal-oriented, viewing time as ‘left’ rather than ‘passed by’ (Knowles, 1984;)." Diep 2019.

Colleagues completing motivational questionnaires often cite 'new learning' as being highly rewarding - but the conditions need to be right and 'getting ready to learn' is often overlooked. Use the prompts above to make a plan as to how to achieve readiness.

Circle 2 Foundation stage: The second element of the framework provides opportunities for participants to build knowledge, understanding and skills, e.g. through online learning modules, video clips, instructor led sessions, lesson demonstrations, direct instruction. Switching between circles 2 and 3 allows participants to engage in a 'knowledge community'. In order for circle 3 to be successful, participants need knowledge to share. The programme should set out very clearly how knowledge levels will be raised. How will knowledge be gained?

Circle 3 Relatedness: People working together / discussion. The third element acknowledges the importance of relationships and interactions in the knowledge building and learning process. Social inclusion and teamwork are essential ingredients in the participants having sustained motivation for learning. This dimension, therefore, embraces literature in knowledge construction and socio-constructivism. Metacognition and the critical unpicking of materials should be ingredients in this circle. Usually, there needs to be a facilitator (internal or external) to help get the most from the activities, e.g. keeping discussion on topic, raising perceptive questions, scaffolding discussion, supporting colleagues to express their thinking, capturing group conclusions, documenting ideas, aiding synthesis. Ideally group sizes varies, starting small and building up to whole team meetings or starting with larger groups and breaking off into smaller and smaller teams.

Sharing knowledge is a reciprocal exchange and there is perceived enjoyment for supporting others in this way. Blended learning research has shown that social exchanges are extremely important to the motivation levels of participants and for increasing the pleasure of study. Reciprocal knowledge sharing among team members can enhance their problem-solving abilities and therefore team effectiveness.

Sharing knowledge with others requires participants to:

• express their own understanding (and as a result they may gain a better grasp of concept through the articulation of their thoughts),

• receive feedback from others,

• listen and respond to questions raised by others and think about other's contributions.

Sharing knowledge also helps participants to consider gaps in their own understanding or raise questions - these can then perhaps be pursued through independent study with a view to returning to the group with answers. Ensuring circle 2 is strong before moving onto circle 3 is critical for deep learning to occur. Colleagues may move backwards and forwards between circle 2 and circle 3. It also reinforces the idea that no single person is there to provide 'the answer'

It is particularly important to emphasise 'critical thinking' in adult learning programmes and require participants to draw conclusions, synthesise information and share knowledge with each other. Reflective discourse is important in enabling adults to assimilate new information and in helping them to make accommodations to their existing schema (e.g. changing their perceptions, addressing a misconception, correcting an error, changing a viewpoint, altering habits, changing procedures, engaging in new ways of working). It is harder to make accommodations than it is to acquire new information! As adults bring with them a great deal of existing knowledge, it is important to engage with any new material with an analytical and reflective lens. An open mind and a questioning approach also help to move adult learning forward.

Reflection and critical thinking are more likely to occur when group sessions are facilitated, i.e. by an senior leader, expert in the field, coach. It should not simply be assumed that putting colleagues together in groups will automatically result in transformational discourse. Who will your key facilitators be? It is useful for facilitators to work together on becoming skilled facilitators, e.g. ways of ensuring everyone engages, opened ended question stems that are likely to promote discussion, ways of keeping the conversations on track, methods of agreeing and recording outcomes, settling disputes, knowledge of activities that promote discussion.

Circle 4 Growth and confidence: Once colleagues have achieved 'core knowledge and understanding' they are able to consider specialising in a particular aspect of the CPD or broadening the CPD beyond that which has been covered by the group. They may wish to do this because they have a particular interest or passion for the topic, because it aligns to their current role or for career development. The other circles provide a firm foundation on which participants can then successfully engage in self-directed autonomous learning, becoming experts themselves. Having built a firm foundation, participants are better able to make more sense of wider contributions to the field of study, e.g. appreciating twitter comments, placing blog posts in contexts, linking theories together, engaging with the research community. Intrinsic motivation plays a part in achieving high-level knowledge and understanding. This circle allows participants more freedom to pursue study along their own motivational lines of enquiry. "The researchers insist that adult learners should be afforded the opportunities to take ownership of their studies, namely respect for learner autonomy or diverse talents and ways of learning (Bangert, 2004; Ross-Gordon, 2003; Walker, & Fraser, 2005)." Diep 2019. This circle also works towards competence and skill - for competence to be enhanced, learners need to have access to feedback that helps them improve their learning, experience a feeling of efficacy (Bandura, 1988). "Additionally, learners need to be cognitively challenged by learning activities that help them to test and go beyond their academic capacities. Thus, feedback and learning activities that have a formative nature are necessary to support learners’ competence." Diep, 2019.

An A3 audit can be downloaded at the end of this blog to help you plan for all four circles.

How to attain circles 2,3,4 by combining sources of learning

One of the most common definitions of the term 'blended Learning' is "combine face-to-face instruction with computer mediated instruction" (Graham, 2006, p.41). We can unpick this further to consider what elements might be included when we use blended learning in the workplace. In 2002, Margaret Driscoll writing for IBM said blended learning was:

1. To combine or mix modes of web-based technology (e.g., live virtual classroom, self-paced instruction, collaborative learning, streaming video, audio, and text) to accomplish an educational goal.

2. To combine various pedagogical approaches (e.g., constructivism, behaviourism, cognitivism) to produce an optimal learning outcome with or with out instructional technology.

3. To combine any form of instructional technology (e.g., videotape, CD-ROM, web-based training, film) with face-to-face instructor-led training.

4. To mix or combine instructional technology with actual job tasks in order to create a harmonious effect of learning and working.

Melded learning is the combination of learning methods to achieve one or more goals. Blended learning is usually considered to be online learning + face-to-face learning. Melded learning is the use of multiple ways of improving knowledge, understanding and skill to achieve a learning goal. For example, in seeking to improve the quality of reading comprehension teaching, colleagues may undertake the following:

• complete an online learning course in order to build knowledge;

• digest a range of research papers to challenge their thinking;

• work with colleagues on collaborative planning of lessons to aid implementation of ideas;

• watch live or recorded lessons to analyse impact of teaching methods;

• participate in small group debate and discussion (face-to-face or virtually via videoconferencing) to tease out ideas and improve clarity of thinking ;

• read professional texts on the subject or participate in jigsaw reading activities to gain more breadth and depth of learning;

• attend instructor led sessions (live) / links with experts in the field to ensure understanding is deep enough, ask questions and seek clarity;

• share findings with each other to promote good practice and ensure there is collective responsibility;

• test out their ideas in the classroom;

• action plan together;

• access twitter, blogs, chat groups to gather a wider perspective and ask the wider education community questions;

• communicate with each other key findings and conclusions;

To build a programme of development that includes multiple sources requires leadership time and leadership commitment. You have to believe that the investment will reap the reward. Yes, it is easy to book a twilight training with an external provider. And whilst I would encourage this, unless you are tackling something very small and very specific, it ALONE can not be the answer. If you are tackling a hard to crack issue - you need to commit to one year or more, commit to different types of external support (e.g. 1:1 sessions with leaders, phase meetings, twilights) and a range of other learning sources, develop the in-house side of the programme - including careful consideration of how the role of leader(s) makes a difference to outcomes.

Avoid always going for the quick fix, be prepared to do the hard work and the hard thinking

In the past, very few teachers have been able to study using more than one approach. Too often, complex educational matters are boiled down to a 1-hour twilight or bullet points on an A4 sheet. In reality, a quick fix or over simplistic approach or an 'out of the box' solution where all you have to do is 'add water' rarely leads to deep development, exciting new thinking or true school improvement. Worse, it often leads to disappointment (for both leaders and teachers) when, after participating in a 1-hour training session, leaders find that classroom practice has not changed or changed by very much or changed in all classrooms. Education is complex and multi-faceted with often multiple ways of solving the same problem. We should embrace this, and commit to helping colleagues manage the complexity. We should empower colleagues and provide lots of opportunities for them to engage in professional learning. Online learning certainly opens many more doors to learning than was possible 20 years ago both in terms of content, cost and availability. Added together with other forms of learning can provide us with a winning strategy.

Even if training and support is being provided externally, be that live or recorded, it is rarely effective unless leaders are engaged, involved and 'leading' developments, e.g. setting milestones, organising time tables, re-iterating messages, removing barriers, funnelling finance in the right direction, monitoring progress, asking colleagues about developments, providing both challenge and support, ensuring key points are returned to, facilitating discussion, providing opportunities for teamwork.

Plotting the route

To achieve melded learning, schools should consider how to put together a full programme of different activities in a structured and systematic way so that it yields high CPD results. Ask :

• How will CPD linked to the objective start?

• What will take place in term 1?

• What will CPD look like in terms 2 and 3?

• What about in the following year?

  Too often, new initiatives are introduced because the previous initiative was never fully developed and therefore never consistent, never achieved fidelity of implementation. Switching to something new doesn't always mean better - it can sometimes just be different. If the old system / the new system never achieve quality implementation neither will lead to substantial differences in outcomes.

Melded learning plots a route towards a professional learning goal and links this very closely to the desired school improvement goal. If the CPD relates to a whole school priority, then it is likely that it would have some core elements that everyone would complete and some elements that would be allocated/chosen by individuals based on their needs, role, interest and career progression. If it was a personal goal: it would be a custom programme. Which elements of CPD are core and which are personal? Which are quick fix CDP and which should form a fully structured programme?

Melded learning focuses on deep learning that is connected and integrated with existing knowledge to build comprehensive schema on important issues. It should aim to build expertise and increase knowledge leading to empowerment of colleagues. A central principle is a commitment to creating a knowledgeable workforce that has the agility to respond to future demands in the profession.

It is tracked and monitored. A critical element is ongoing professional dialogue about how the learning is moving the person(s) closer towards the goal. It has a 'director' that is guiding colleagues towards desired outcomes. There are regular reviews and elements of coaching/mentoring that helps colleagues to take ownership of their learning and individual and collective responsibility for shifts in practice and processes.

Whilst research shows that self-directed learning can be motivating, researchers have also found that adult learners should be provided with structure to comfortably and effectively organise their learning (Cercone, 2008). Over time, adult learning should aim to foster independence and to do this professional dialogue 'about learning' and the 'learners effectiveness' are important, as is accountability and reflection on goals / success criteria. Melded learning allows the learner security and peace of mind of a central program (designed with a goal in mind) whilst also providing plenty of opportunities for self-directed learning as the learning unfolds.

It requires headteachers to commit senior leadership time (including their own) to leading melded learning. Strategic and ongoing leadership is essential for success.

Melded learning would include elements from all six of the areas listed in this diagram.

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Richness, breadth, depth and specialisation

Online courses can offer teachers CPD that is more extensive than a twilight, a single day course or even a multi-day face-to-face course. Face-to-face training can be limited by time available and training can be prohibitively expensive. Online courses can offer a richness of materials, allowing colleagues to add greater depth and/or greater breadth to their learning. In menu driven online learning courses, there is often also the option to specialise - allowing colleagues to dig into materials that meet a specific need, match well to their role in school or follow a particular interest or line of enquiry. A mix of essential and optional components can ensure everyone's needs are met. For example, EYFS colleagues can feel frustrated as they sit through training sessions that don't relate well to their phase. The EYFS team often try very hard to interpret training session through an early years lens - some are very skilled at doing so, but it is always great to have the option to access more specialist materials and online learning can offer a broader range of materials for participants to choose from. Online learning environment can offer more pathways through materials to account for the differencing needs and roles of colleagues. It can also be frustrating in face-to-face courses if the materials is too basic or too advanced. Online learning offers more control over the pace of learning.

However, there can be drawbacks that need to be mitigated against. For example poor quality equipment, a requirement to be self-disciplined in studying, a feeling of isolation if not combined with other forms of learning, not having a comfortable work space to operate in, a lack of associated skills (e.g. ability to create notes online, brainstorming software, software to help organise thinking), an ill-defined work schedule, time not allocated to study. All of these can be addressed by leaders who are serious about improving teacher performance.

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Barriers to achieving success

Studies of various kinds have found a positive relationship between peer learning and academic achievement. However, a key ingredient is the knowledge base of the participants. Too often in educational settings, peer learning is seen as getting a group together and working on an answer without proper investment in building the group's knowledge and expertise. To build initial personal knowledge, colleagues might, for example, compete online learning modules, watch video clips, engage with research articles, read chapters of relevant books, observe lessons. There may be specific pieces that everyone in the group has read / watched / reviewed.

Another barrier to success is the group not establishing the norms before starting / lack of discussion about how the group will work together.

In collaborative learning there would be:

• strategies for increasing the groups' shared knowledge base;

• investment by individuals in building their specialist sub-knowledge in order to increase breadth and depth of collective knowledge and understanding;

• to have shared thinking responsibilities, e.g. reflect on what has been read, be open to consideration of new ideas expressed by external experts, be analytical about videos watched /practice seen, seek to understand the thoughts of others in the group, seek ways to improve group expertise, work towards shared schema.

• to learn and share learning through dialogue, e.g. participate in meaningful debate and discussion; the requirement to ask questions and engage in thoughtful listening.

• an agreement to work together to synthesise knowledge, e.g. build collective schema, draw conclusions, identify key points in the field of study, create models and diagrams to represent key concepts.

• team effort to create tangible products from the learning, e.g. action planning, changing processes, updating policies, changing lesson structures, new ways of teaching.

• support for each other in planning implementing and reflecting on ideas.

• greater motivation for learning derived from the pleasure of working as part of a team (and improvements in team problem solving).

(These activities would be in circle 3 relatedness - you can download the prompts at the end of the blog). Ideally, there needs to be a 'group leader / facilitator' - which should be a member of the group who is learning alongside their peers.

You might use this table as a way of opening up discussion about what it means to learn together as a group.

Plus, you need collective accountability - the success of all colleagues working towards the goal rather than just individually accountability - and knowledge of this at the outset. Too little time is usually devoted to setting out clear objectives and an agreement as to how everyone will operate in order to achieve the goals. Time spent planning and thinking about learning before it takes place, particularly when the learning may take a full academic year (or more) needs a firm foundation on which to build. There needs to be clear expectations and a solid timeline.

Building the Right Ethos

A further barrier to achieving success with melded learning is creating the positive learning ethos that was identified earlier as being so important. It is ok for someone to say that a positive ethos is needed, but how is it created?

Learning, be that for adults or children, is more successful if the ethos of the learning environment is right. Creating a positive professional development ethos does not happen overnight. It is more likely to happen if leaders (particularly the headteacher) truly believes in the power of professional learning and see teachers as part of an educational landscape that goes well beyond the boundary of their school (or group of schools). They truly want colleagues to grow wings and they are prepared to set them free, even if it is painful to be parted. Headteachers who care about the people they work with, and their futures, usually have strong CPD offers and a strong CPD ethic. Their beliefs drive their actions!

At a very practical level what can leaders do to help create the right ethos?

An ethos is built through the million small things you do everyday. It is the print that runs through the middle of a stick of rock. It is not created by token gestures. Saying it also doesn't make it true! It is embodied in every action and everything that is said. It is about the values you hold dear, the ethics you use to make decisions, your moral compass, your beliefs and your vision. Talking about what you want the school to be like can help to form a collective vision to work towards, but then you have to live the words and hold others to account who do not! Not challenging poor practice / misaligned actions can be as damaging, if not more so, than positive proactive steps to create the right ethos. Don't let others set the ethos by stealth - tackle it!

• Leadership enthusiasm - a genuine love of learning by senior leaders. Putting learning at the heart of the school for everyone. This should shine through decision making processes and every day interactions and be seen in what is value. Leaders send out signals (intentionally, unintentionally) by how they spend the school finance, how they direct colleagues time, the level of leadership investment in a CPD issue - active involvement by leaders, the questions they ask, the monitoring that is carried out, the daily conversations, what is prioritised.

• An expectation that everyone will be committed to professional learning. This includes 'walking the walk' and senior leaders sharing their own reflective practice and professional learning. Enthusiasts of professional learning in the school can inspire everyone. I was watching Pritesh Raichura's session 'Planning Effective Teacher Led Lessons' as part of ResearcED 2020 (see YouTube) and it reminded me just how important enthusiasm for professional learning is in inspiring others. It is a great example of someone who has gained from professional learning and embodies reflective practice. Their approach would be likely to inspire others to commit time and resources to their own learning. Having people in school share how their learning has helped them to become better teachers / better leaders gets everyone talking about 'how' you learn as an adult and 'what' you learn as an adult.

• Appreciation of different types of professional learning and differing levels of learning. Sometimes you need a quick fix, but at other times you need to acknowledge that expertise requires time and effort to achieve. Those leaders who are prepared to support colleagues in their pursuit of in-depth, long lasting learning are more likely to reap higher rewards in the long run.

• A willingness to give people the time they need to train and undertake professional learning. Exhausted teachers do not make good learners! Neither do cold, hungry or stressed teachers. Leaders who really want to create an ethos of learning make sure the conditions are right and use Maslow's hierarchy of needs to help colleagues get the most from their learning.

• Holding people to account - if we believe in the power of professional learning, then we should expect there to be impact. If we don't expect there to be impact, what does it say about how much we value professional learning? I don't mean superficial accountability either - I mean the type that recognises all the nuances of impact.

• Options and choices - this might be via allocated funds that allow colleagues to purchase resources, books, courses, classroom materials, or the theoretical purchase of time (e.g. allocating some of the funds to classroom cover). Options might be about what we learn, how we learn, when we learn, who we learn with. This puts some of the power in the hands of those who will be held to account.

• Making professional learning an important part of appraisals, including support and discussions around career development. A genuine interest in colleague's career progression in order to create a mix of learning that responds to school needs and personal needs. That also means devoting leadership time to meeting 1:1 with colleagues and meeting in small groups. It means evaluating the support provided and shaping the offer to meet the needs of colleagues.

• Opportunities to celebrate and share findings.

• Time to talk to senior leaders / headteacher. Time is a precious gift. If I give you time to talk to me about your learning, it tells you that I think it is important and has value. It also suggests that I might learn something from you, just as much as you might learn something from me. Sharing, talking, a rich dialogue that includes questioning and debate helps to build better schools.

• Mary Myatt in her Researched 2020 session talked about reducing work that has limited impact in order to invest in things that do. It simply is not possible to constantly add more. An over stretched workforce do not make good learners. However, it is also about colleagues perceptions of how their time is being used - if colleagues are asked to complete a task that takes 1 hour but they feel it will have limited impact, no-one will follow up with it, it is a tick box exercise - then they will resent the hour; if colleagues are asked to complete a task that takes 1 hour that they feel is part of a well structured programme, that they know will be followed up, that they know everyone is committed to, that helps them in their wok - they will feel positive about the hour. It is the same hour.

Colleagues often say that what they find motivational is learning something new, working with likeminded colleagues, working for an inspiring leader.

Helping participants to get the most from melded learning

Another barrier to melded learning is the approach of the individual.

There is no doubt in my mind that you only get out of training what you put in. Colleagues who come with an open mind and a willingness to work hard benefit the most. Some colleagues actively seek to squeeze every morsel from training opportunities and see advantages and opportunities everywhere they look. Teachers should consider of themselves - what would they want in an ideal 'student' or 'adult learner'.

An important factor is the degree to which colleagues are able to be self-regulated learners. To what degree are colleagues metacognitively, motivationally, and behaviourally active participants in the process of monitoring their own learning? Pintrich (2000) defines self regulated learners as those who actively construct their own learning process and are able to set their learning goals, while also making an effort to observe, adjust, and control their cognition, motivation, and behaviour in achieving those goals. There needs to be an ethos that openly and joyously talks about learning. Continuous learning, an openness to learn, a direct and conscious effort to learn therefore have to be valued and there should be an expectation that colleagues are working towards learning goals set by the organisation and their own goals.

"Students who engaged in more online self-regulatory learning behaviours generally had a more positive perception of blended courses. This is because during online instruction, students assume greater responsibility and autonomy for their learning. When they acquire the skills to regulate different learning strategies in their learning process, they will have greater satisfaction in learning, and hence higher chances of being successful in blended learning courses." Chee Leong Lim 2020.

Are we talking enough about ourselves as learners?

What can help individuals? If you feel that the lack of success is due to individuals, consider what conversations are taking place using the following prompts:

1. GOAL

2. SUCCESS CRITERIA

3. AN EMPHASIS ON KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING

4. FRAMEWORKS TO GUIDE DEVELOPMENTS

5. TIMELINE AND PLAN

6. MILESTONES

7. FEEDBACK & REGULAR OPPORTUNITY FOR REFLECTION

8. PRACTICAL WAYS TO ENGAGE WITH THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT.

9. STOP, REFLECT AND REPLAN.

The above list with a participant expectation column can be downloaded at the end of the blog.

More information and supporting resources

Look out for future blog posts on assessing the impact of CPD and resources to aid group facilitators.

References

Cercone, K. (2008). Characteristics of adult learners with implications for online learning design. AACE journal, 16(2), 137–159.

Chun-Yu Lin; Chung-Kai Huang; Choa-Junk, Ko. The impact of perceived enjoyment on team effectiveness and individual learning in a blended learning business course: The mediating effect of knowledge sharing. Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, v. 36, n. 1, p. 126–141, 2020

Diep, Anh Nguyet. Adult learners' needs in online and blended learning, Australian Journal of Adult Learning, Vol 59, No 2, July 2019.

Driscoll, M., 2002. Blended learning: Let's get beyond the hype. E-learning, 1(4), pp.1-4.

Lim. Chee Leong, Peer Learning, Self-Regulated Learning and Academic Achievement in Blended Learning Courses: A Structural Equation Modelling Approach, International journal of emerging technologies, 2020.

Gomez, E. A., Wu, D., & Passerini, K. (2010). Computer-supported team-based learning: The impact of motivation, enjoyment and team contributions on learning outcomes. Computers & Education, 55(1), 378–390.

Graham, C.R., 2006. Blended learning systems. In C.J. Bonk and Graham, eds. 2012.The handbook of blended learning, Hoboken, NJ: Wiley E Sons. pp.3に21.

P. R. Pintrich, Multiple goals, multiple pathways: The role of goal orientation in learning and achievement, Journal of Educational Psychology, vol. 92, pp. 544-555, 2000

Resources to download from this blog post

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