Professional Documents
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Teacher Professionalism - April 2012
Teacher Professionalism - April 2012
April 2012
Teacher professionalism
“To work with children, the chance to be creative in my ● Teachers have a responsibility to debate education
work daily, to make learning fun and interesting, to help practice.
children feel cared for and supported at school – that’s
professionalism to me.” (ATL member, survey on In practical terms, therefore, ATL calls for the following.
professionalism, November 2010)
www.atl.org.uk/teacherprofessionalism POS037
Teacher professionalism (continued)
● The professional continuum should be supported the teaching role. Any changes to professional
through an entitlement to early and continuing standards should avoid political bias and prescription
professional development and be reflected in national of teaching methodology.
professional standards.
● Induction is a key phase in this professional continuum, ● Evidence shows CPD that is personalised, relevant,
particularly with the increasing primacy of shorter ITE sustained and supported is most likely to be effective,
programmes. Induction recognises the greater CPD which is critical to improving teaching quality and
needs of professionals in their early careers and is a learning experiences and outcomes for pupils.
vital guarantee of access to increased support from Therefore, CPD should be built on a teacher’s needs
schools. Government should retain induction as a and wishes alongside the school’s requirements, rather
requirement and entitlement for all teachers gaining than merely follow policy diktat.
QTS, and provide funding and guidance to support
mentoring in schools. Collaborative professionalism
● Teachers work collaboratively. School and local
The role of higher education arrangements should support this through whole-
● Teachers should have access to ITE and CPD that school policies and team working, joint working with
combines both theory and practice. HEIs are best external specialist services, partnerships between
equipped to offer this vital grounding in theoretical schools, and constructive communication with
understanding of education and pedagogy, and to parents/carers and the local community.
provide research evidence to inform practice for ● Professional roles and boundaries should be clearly
teachers in all stages of their careers. To promote defined and maintained across the education
reflective practice and innovation, initial and ongoing workforce. Within multi-agency working, roles and
professional education arrangements should therefore boundaries should be recognised by local and national
include a principal role for HEIs, including participation structures of accountability.
in teacher research. ● Local democratic structures and services, eg local
● Tensions between theory and practice in ITE authorities, are key in supporting teachers and their
programmes have been exacerbated by inconsistent colleagues to fulfil their professional responsibilities to
quality of HEI-school links. All ITE routes should have a pupils, families and communities. They should be
focus on building high-quality structures of professional properly funded and empowered to fulfil that role.
support between HEIs and schools.
● School networks are valuable in supporting HEI-linked
ITE and CPD. To ensure proper levels of evidence-
based challenge and innovative thinking, these ATL believes that the above, alongside supportive
networks should include a diversity of schools in performance management and appropriate
terms of their circumstances and type, promoting remuneration, will provide a framework that
a breadth of professional understanding. recognises teachers’ professionalism, promotes
teacher morale and retention, and ensures an
Government policy, national standards entitlement for all pupils that will improve
educational outcomes.
and accountability
● Teachers are experts in curriculum, assessment and Through our professional networks, ATL will
pedagogy. This expertise should be recognised through continue to champion teachers’ expert voice in
increased autonomy in curriculum development, pupil debates about education practice. We also support
assessment and pedagogy. National professional teachers’ professionalism through advice, CPD
standards should reflect this, and avoid political provision and publications. For more, see
prescription of teacher practice. www.atl.org.uk/teacherprofessionalism.
● Professional standards provide the backdrop to
government’s engagement with teacher
professionalism; linked to accountability mechanisms
such as performance management and inspection,
they impact strongly on teaching practice and pupil
education. The government should consult properly
with teaching unions and professional associations on
professional standards so they reflect the richness of
ATL policy is based on the views and experiences of ATL members. To see all of ATL’s policies, visit www.atl.org.uk/policies. If
you’d like to get involved and join the debate on this or other policy issues, email policybriefings@atl.org.uk or see
www.atl.org.uk/debate. To discuss the issues raised here and in other ATL position statements with members in your area,
contact your local branch secretary.
© Association of Teachers and Lecturers 2012. All rights reserved. Information on this sheet may be reproduced or quoted with
proper acknowledgement to ATL. Tel: 020 7930 6441 email: info@atl.org.uk
www.atl.org.uk/teacherprofessionalism POS037