This report describes the results of research that examined the perspectives of advisers, teacher educators and staff trainers regarding Continuing Professional Development (CPD) in ICT. The report explores their ICT training, their current opportunities and their recommendations for the future of ICT CPD programmes.

Following on from an earlier report into ICT training, this report suggests that there is a shortage of ICT-trained teacher educators and advisors in the United Kingdom.

In terms of professional development required, respondents identified five main priority training areas: use of learning platforms, practice-based courses, applied research, how to establish communities of practice, and how to develop digital content.

The report notes that respondents believe that the key barriers to the uptake of ICT in schools include:

• Teachers' lack of time to learn and apply new skills.
• Poor technical support.
• Lack of effective ICT professional development programmes.
• Assessment methods which do not value the impact of ICT in learning.

In addition, respondents agreed overwhelmingly that the take-up of ICT is still poor in most schools because of:

• Lack of vision in schools.
• Lack of professional development courses about how ICT can empower and transform.

Download the report:

• Education Professionals' perspectives on ICT CPD: Past, Present and Future

Short version

http://www.wlecentre.ac.uk/cms/files/cpreston_short_report_.pdf

Long version

http://www.wlecentre.ac.uk/cms/files/cpreston_report.pdf

Related articles:

• UNESCO ICT in Education Teacher Training

http://www.unescobkk.org/education/ict/teachertraining

•  Training of Teachers and Facilitators project

http://www.unescobkk.org/index.php?id=3806

• Next Generation of Teachers project

http://www.unescobkk.org/education/ict/teachertraining/next_gen

• Work-based learning for education professionals

http://www.wlecentre.ac.uk

• IT industry association believes lack of specialists is getting worse

http://www.heise.de/english/newsticker/news/92020