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Reframing Professional Development Through Understanding Authentic Professional Learning

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: a.websterwright{at}uq.edu.au.

	Abstract

Continuing to learn is universally accepted and expected by professionals and other stakeholders across all professions. However, despite changes in response to research findings about how professionals learn, many professional development practices still focus on delivering content rather than enhancing learning. In exploring reasons for the continuation of didactic practices in professional development, this article critiques the usual conceptualization of professional development through a review of recent literature across professions. An alternative conceptualization is proposed, based on philosophical assumptions congruent with evidence about professional learning from seminal educational research of the past two decades. An argument is presented for a shift in discourse and focus from delivering and evaluating professional development programs to understanding and supporting authentic professional learning.

First published on February 25, 2009, doi:10.3102/0034654308330970

Review of Educational Research 2009;79:702.

A more recent version of this article appeared on June 1, 2009


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