'Nothing within a school has more impact on students in terms of skills development, self-confidence or classroom behaviour than the personal and professional development of teachers.'
Roland Barth
Continuing professional development (CPD) is the process which ensures that all educational staff can, at all stages of their careers, develop their knowledge, improve their skills and enhance their confidence and motivation to affect pupil learning positively.
Reflecting on your practice and considering how you can improve your skills and how you can grow as a professional are all part and parcel of CPD and provide motivation and inspiration in your career and its development.
Embracing CPD and continuous learning can help practitioners to bring new approaches, concepts, technologies and insight to the classroom or learning environment. As an individual, your enthusiasm for learning is transferred to the classroom, improving the educational experience for pupils and having an impact on their achievements.
A range of CPD activities helps to maintain quality and diversity of skills in Scottish education, allowing it to be recognised favourably in the international arena and serving to promote Scotland's innovative and forward-thinking education system.
The Scottish curriculum is currently being revised. Curriculum for Excellence is developing a new streamlined curriculum for 3-18-year-olds. The purposes of the new curriculum are to enable all children and young people to become:
The professional development of teachers is an important aspect of the new curriculum.
If you want to know more about CPD in Scottish education, read the CPD Framework document in our National Documents section.
If you are looking for individual CPD activities, try our database of CPD opportunities, CPDFind.
If you are interested in the debate about the importance of CPD then try the Teachers for Excellence area. Margaret Alcorn, National CPD Co-ordinator, discusses essential skills required for Teachers for Excellence and how we can develop Teachers for Excellence.
In association with Education Scotland