This paper reports on an evaluation of the effect of accredited CPD on education professionals and their work. With the increasing professionalisation of education throughout Europe, CPD can provide the content and skills necessary to update knowledge, deepen understanding and promote best practice. However, there have been concerns on the overall efficacy of such programmes. This paper investigates an accredited programme of CPD for teachers supported by the Training and Development Agency for Schools, a body responsible for the development of education professionals in the UK and, in particular in the English education system. This initiative provides funding for qualified teachers to gain university accreditation through the Postgraduate Professional Development (PPD) fund. This paper reports on an evaluation of the use of that fund, by teachers, to gain accredited professional development. In particular this paper will focus on the following research questions: • How have teachers’ practice changed as a result of attending accredited professional development programmes? • In what ways has this change been shared or disseminated amongst colleagues or other professionals. These two questions provide an interesting examination of the scope of change resulting from such professional development. Whilst this does not reflect the full scope of the evaluation, the personal and extended effects will be juxtaposed utilising the data collected, which is described in the methodology section. The study is situated within the field of practitioner based research, specifically teacher enquiry, and draws on the literature of theories of learning including: situated; cognitive; distributive and social and teacher professional development.

The research reported through this paper was a mixed method evaluation of university accredited CPD for people with qualified teacher status in the UK. Two groups of participants were included: qualified teachers, who had participated in CPD thereby gaining accreditation, and stakeholders, who were identified by these teachers. The latter were asked to comment on the effect, if any, that CPD and gaining accreditation had had on the teachers. Two methods were used to collect data. Participants were first asked to complete a questionnaire which asked for initial feedback on professional development whilst establishing a profile of professionals accessing these accredited opportunities. Following this questionnaire, a series of interviews were conducted where participants were asked to reflect on the process and outcomes of this accredited CPD.

The early outcomes suggest that teachers engaging in CPD learn a range of new skills and develop associated practices as a result of that engagement. These are believed, by these participants, to enhance analytical skills, professional reflection and critical perspectives on practice. These skills are also associated with giving more scope for pupil participation and changing pedagogical practices. Of these changes it would appear that only those associated directly with teaching practices are shared with colleagues. This paper argues that learning resulting from these accredited professional development activities would be enhanced through the sharing of the skills learnt through study as well as sharing the influence of this study on practice. The conclusion of this paper explores some of the questions raised by this work for the new system for Masters accreditation in the UK education system, namely the MA in Teaching and Learning.