Teacher-Led Professional Development Through School Collaboration in a Divided Society: A Survey of Teachers

• In Event: From Partnerships to Sustainable Change in Education

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to report the findings of a survey of teachers and school leaders involved in a professional development program based on school collaboration across sectors in a religiously divided society. The achieved sample for the survey comprised 637 respondents, 37 per cent of whom had been directly involved in the initiative. The respondents were very positive on the value of collaboration and networking, particularly across denominational school sectors. They highlighted the value of teacher-led agendas for professional development activities, while recognising the need for further work to enable student voice. Respondents also identified the need for time to embed new learning and practice emerging from the initiative.

Authors

• Tony M. Gallagher, Queen's University - Belfast

• Gavin Duffy, Queen's University - Belfast

• Gareth Robinson, Queen's University Belfast