The practices of professional development facilitators

Research into schoolteachers’ professional development often focuses on its subject and pedagogical content, delivery model and mechanisms for and evaluation of professional learning. However, the role of the professional development facilitators who lead, plan and deliver professional development activities is under-researched and their importance is therefore undervalued. To address this, there is a need for a greater understanding of how professional development facilitators learn, practice and develop their roles. This study contributes to the evidence base about professional development facilitators through a small-scale study of the facilitators of a teacher professional development programme in the Further Education and Skills sector in England. Using qualitative data drawn from facilitators and participants we identify three areas of practice used by the facilitators: content, pedagogy and embodiment. We describe the facilitators’ choices in relation to these practices and how these choices interact, identifying modelling as an important practice where content and pedagogy overlap. We show how facilitators’ choices were supported by previous experience, ongoing learning and feedback from participants. Drawing on this evidence we suggest ways in which professional development facilitators might be supported in their own professional learning by exploring and improving their knowledge and understanding of the three areas of practice.