Chapter 8: Professional Learning

This chapter considers the role of professional learning in creating more sustainable teacher work. It engages with the literature which explores the nature, role and development of professional capacity and links it to concepts within education to consider how it can bring positive professional learning to school environments. Models of professional learning are explored, including a consideration of professional capital (Hargreaves & Fullan, 2012) and how to engender a context where managed teacher autonomy is seen as a positive and collaborative development. We will also look at how professional learning is organised and described in countries around the world. The role of leaders in supporting professional learning is considered, particularly in the current climate of teacher retention crises in many countries, and how this could begin to move further away from a hierarchical model of organisational activity to one which works for the benefit of individuals as well as schools.