Language teachers' professional learning: in search of impact

There is a growing evidence base suggesting that the effectiveness of individual teachers is one of the most significant factors in predicting valued pupil outcomes. This has led to much debate about how in-service teachers might continue to develop and improve their practice. This study takes a single subject area (Modern Foreign Languages - MFL) as the context in which to explore teachers’ Professional Learning (PL) needs, experiences and motivations from July 2016 to July 2018. During Year 1, data tracking the PL priorities, experiences, well-being and self-efficacy of 57 MFL teachers clustered in 14 state school languages departments were collected via four iterations of an online questionnaire. Year 8 Students of French in 13 of the 14 schools (n=1370) completed a student perception questionnaire to gauge their classroom experiences. Questionnaire data were followed up with in-depth, semi-structured interviews with Heads of Department in six of the schools. Two languages departments were subsequently identified as productive contexts for teacher PL and in-depth case-studies of these departments were conducted in Year 2. Languages teachers expressed strong interest in accessing PL and they particularly identified the need to develop their preparedness to teach towards new examinations at GCSE and A Level. They also highlighted a need to develop students’ speaking skills and motivation. Over the course of the study, analysis shows very low levels of engagement in PL that shares characteristics with the effective PL practices identified by Cordingley et al. (2015). Very few teachers reported extended engagement in PL activities over the course of multiple sessions. Teachers’ access to PL experiences was shaped by a sharp focus on instrumental organisational aims related to the introduction of new examination specifications and curricula. Although no significant associations were found between teachers’ engagement in PL and pupils’ outcomes at GCSE, a strong correlation was noted between the size of the language department and pupils' value-added outcomes in language GCSEs. The possible underlying reasons for this pattern are discussed. Some Heads of Department perceived the changing curriculum as an opportunity for development and innovation, whereas others conceptualised the changes as a threat to established ways of working and to colleagues’ wellbeing. Working conditions and the nature of relationships between colleagues within institutions shaped the conditions for PL, with accompanying impacts on individual teachers’ sense of self-efficacy, engagement and intention to remain in the profession. The findings of this study have implications for policy makers, school leaders and Heads of Department wishing to build better conditions for teacher learning.