This paper reports on preliminary findings of the Teaching and Learning for the 21st Century: Transfer Initiative (2008ff) in five regional Education Centres in Ireland. A key aim of the Transfer Initiative is to extend and develop the beneficial features of the TL21 project (2003-2007) - enhancing teaching and learning in post-primary schools through taking ownership of new pedagogical initiatives, and in promoting these in sustained ways in schools. The Education Department, NUI Maynooth, has begun working with Directors of five regional Education Centres. These centres were established in 1972 with a view to: providing opportunities and meeting places for teachers to discuss issues related to their professional practice. Since 1995 these centres have played a more central role in the delivery of national programmes of professional development for teachers as opposed to addressing the main aim set out above. Directors play relatively administrative roles as “directors of a centre/building” as opposed to the role of Director of Education (actively leading sustainable CPD initiatives). Up to now centres have relied heavily on the various Support Services to bring in expertise and business. Now with the impending reduction in these services Education Centre Directors will be called upon to: (a) Adopt a more central role in leading initiatives of this nature; (b) Source craft expertise (i.e. facilitators for workshops) (c) Actively liaise and build relationships with schools; researching their needs and putting in place relevant CPD programmes The cultural landscape in which many of these centres have generally operated is one of professional isolation and insulation. A further aim is to encourage Directors to work together as professional learning communities. The research involves assisting Directors in initiating and leading sustainable CPD on teaching and learning issues relevant to the needs of their local post-primary schools. The workshop model used here, while distinctive to the needs of each centre all share in common the defining features below: • Active participation: Interactive in nature - participants involved in workshop design; • Clearly defined tasks: Participants carry out tasks; during workshop and; between one workshop and next; • Purposeful collaboration: Participants encouraged to engage in dialogue on pedagogical issues relevant to their professional practice; • Continuity: Workshops are scheduled events within a developmental sequence as distinct from being “once-off” events; • Feedback: Feedback to workshop convenor, feedback to workshop colleagues during the workshop on initiatives being undertaken by participants in their own schools.

Methodology: In terms of selecting data gathering and analysis the method involves using multiple sources and techniques. Data will be collected from each participating school and centre by means of rigourous, evidence based qualitative methodologies including: - Regular interviews and formalised feedback approaches with participant teachers and senior leaders; - Regular visits to schools and Education Centre; - Interviews with Centre Directors and workshop facilitators; - Observation of workshops and analysis of various evidences teachers and schools provide in terms of benefits gained.

This paper will outline a number of preliminary findings to date and reference key challenges, including: • Work with Directors, re-defining the nature of their roles and work: (a) Adopting a more central role in leading initiatives of this nature forward within their regions; (b) Sourcing craft expertise within their regions; (c) Actively liaising and building relationships with schools; researching their needs and putting in place relevant CPD programmes • Variation within and between Educational centres in terms of their professional capacity and readiness for facilitating and leading work of this nature forward. • The appetite for professional learning among schools and teachers including interest in and uptake on various innovative accreditation pathways. Our paper will also make a number of recommendations in relation to the role of Education Centres in the future provision of CPD in Ireland.