An Inquiry Based Continuing Professional Development Programme: how to make the first Steps?

Research findings concur in demonstrating both that collective settings spur teacher development, and that changes in teacher approaches and practices depend on some conditions (Grangeat, 2012). Meirink, Meijer and Verloop (2007) show that collaboration frequently affects teachers ’ approaches but seldom teacher's practices; furthermore, any effects on practice often confirm the teacher's own previous methods. Overcoming these results, Andrews and Lewis (2002) found impacts on action in the classroom when the school organization allows teachers to share understandings through professional learning activities. In such a case, teachers changed their approaches and practices in order to meet students ’ learning needs. Such a disparity is coherent with the conclusions of Hargreaves and Fullan (2012) who notice that ‘schools [as well as teachers] improve when they collaborate with and learn from other schools [and teachers] –but not always. ’ (p. 136). Specification of these conclusions are proposed by van der Valk and de Jong (2009) who showed that scaffolding experienced science teachers in IBST development is fruitful when these teachers are embedded within cooperative settings where they can reflect about specific professional questions with other colleagues, researchers and teacher educators from university. Similar issues have been found by other researchers. For instance Jaworski (2006) reports a project designed to create inquir