This symposium focuses on the effects of masters or doctoral qualifications on teachers’ professional development by considering the perspectives of current and former teacher students and the organization of the programs, notably concerning research skills development and supervision. Internationally, development of advanced professional education for teachers has been informed by the need to improve teachers’ qualifications and skills as a response to the challenges of knowledge societies (White, Fox and Isenberg, 2011). This has been accompanied, however, by deep discussions around the intentions, which can be informed by professionalism or entrepreneurialism (Loxley and Seery, 2012; Frankham and Hiett, 2011), and around professional knowledge, for example, requiring research skills development or just the application of research evidence (Alegre and Villar, 2009; Drennan and Clarke, 2009).

European strategy has generally supported the development of teachers' professionalism through higher qualifications (Buchberger,Campos, Kallos, Stephenson. 2000). Different European countries have been influenced to varying degrees to make Masters level a requirement for certification as a teacher. The policy framework sets the scene for vigorous discussion and policy responses at national level regarding the nature of programmes and the funding provided for teachers to participate in advanced professional education.

Despite the excited debates taking place there is not a compelling body of research evidence around the impact of advanced higher professional education (Wellington and Sikes, 2006; Drennan and Clarke, 2009) for teachers. This symposium contributes to the evidence base by bringing together three research studies developed within three different European countries.

The studies are positioned in relation to three bodies of literature: conceptual frameworks for understanding different kinds of knowledge and the value placed upon them within teacher education across the boundary between universities and schools: thinking around the core practices of effective teachers and how research skills and researcher identities relate to them; and characteristics of effective professional development for teachers and in particular those activities that are most likely to promote mobilization of knowledge and research-informed practice.

The studies focus upon the perspectives of teachers who have graduated from Masters or Doctoral programmes and upon the organization of these programmes notably concerning research skills development and students supervision. Together, the studies highlight variations between each country in relation to the policy framework, cultural issues and organization. They also identify some of the shared characteristics of advanced training for teachers and critically consider its contribution to the development of schooling in response to the challenges of the twenty-first century.

Alegre, O. M., & Villar, L.M. (2009). Master’s Degree “Educating in Diversity” (MDED): Toward Inclusion Education Quality. International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 22(1), 42-54.

Buchberger, F., B.P. Campos, D. Kallos, and J. Stephenson. 2000. Green paper on teacher education in Europe: High quality teacher education for high quality education and training.Umea: TNTEE

Drennan, J., & Clarke, M. (2009). Coursework master’s programmes: the student’s experience of research and research supervision. Studies in Higher Education, 34(5), 483–500.

Frankham, J., & Hiett, S. (2011). The Master’s in Teaching and Learning: expanding utilitarianism in the continuing professional development of teachers in England. Journal of Education Policy, 26(6), 803–818.

Loxley, A., & and Seery, A. (2012). The role of the professional doctorate in Irelandfrom the student perspective. Studies in Higher Education, 37(1), 3–17.

Wellington, J., & Sikes, P. (2006). ‘A doctorate in a tight compartment’: why do students choose a professional doctorate and what impact does it have on their personal and professional lives? Studies in Higher Education, 31(6), 723–734.

White, C. S., , Fox, R.K., and Isenberg, J.P. (2011). Investigating teachers’ professional learning in an advanced Master’s degree programme. European Journal of Teacher Education, 34(4), 387–405.