Existing literature on teacher Continuing Professional Development (CPD) emphasises its inclusiveness and complexity encompassing all formal and informal activities which are conducive to teacher learning and professional growth (Day 2001; Flores et al. 2007; Richter et al. 2011), especially within a framework of collaborative CPD, one which values the informal element of working and learning (Kennedy 2011). In Portugal, the need to promote teachers’ CPD through formal activities has led to the implementation of a national and compulsory INSET for all teachers in 1992. However, research carried out in Portugal has shown the weak impact of schools’ centres in fostering teacher growth and educational innovation in schools, which was driven mainly by bureaucratic devices (Ruela 1999; Barroso and Canário 1999).

Despite this, it is possible to highlight some positive outcomes, namely the existence  of a ‘culture of  training’ (Estrela 2003) in so far as schools and teachers tend to value more CPD as part of the teaching profession (Veiga Simão et al. 2005) as well as the growing emphasis on more contextualised training opportunities. Issues of school culture and leadership have been identified as important variables influencing teachers’ learning in the workplace (Flores et al. 2007). Collaborative cultures foster and build on qualities of openness, trust and support amongst teachers. This relates to earlier research which suggests the importance of school culture and leadership in encouraging reflection and collaboration with implications for teacher professional satisfaction (Rosenholtz 1989). There is then a two-way effect of collaboration and CPD, through the promotion of collaborative practices and/or projects at school. Learning is, therefore, enhanced and in turn generates proactive and creative responses to local problems.

In this regard, Roldão (2007, p. 27) stresses that collaborative work ‘is structured essentially as a process of joint work and thinking together’ in order to ‘achieve the best desired results’. However, as suggested by Little (1982, 1990) and Hargreaves (1998), different forms of collaboration and collegiality do not always lead to the expected effects of change. Existing literature highlights a number of benefits arising from collaborative work such as moral support that allows teachers to respond to problems and difficulties, overcoming failures, frustrations and personal insecurity (Roldão 2007; Forte and Flores 2010). It also allows teachers to gain new ideas by encouraging a reflective and questioning process on their professional practices. It also relates to reducing the burden and pressure arising from the intensification of their work, greater security and responsiveness to change and therefore greater capacity to learn from others, encouraging them to improve. In short, collaboration leads to authentic CPD (Hargreaves 1998; Day 2001) and is seen as an indicator of informal learning within the professional community in schools and classrooms (Richter et al. 2011). It is within this perspective that the study described in this poster was carried out in order to understand teachers’ practice and perspectives on collaboration and CPD opportunities in their workplace.

It draws upon a broader piece of research aiming at investigating the following research questions:How do teachers understand the opportunities for professional development in the workplace? What are the motivations for engaging in in-service training activities and in other professional development opportunities?How do teachers relate opportunities for professional development to their collaborative work in the workplace?How do they describe their collaborative experiences in the workplace?

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