"Continuing professional development means maintaining, improving and broadening relevant knowledge and skills in your subject specialism and your teaching and training, so that it has a positive impact on practice and the learner experience... It is the critical reflection on learning experiences and activities that improve practice and demonstrate continuing development as a teacher or trainer." Guidelines for continuing professional development August 2009; Institute for Learning (IfL)
This definition covers three important principles of CPD for you to think about.
- Professional updating – which includes your teaching and learning practice and subject specialism (IfL call this 'dual professionalism').
- Reflective practice.
- Impact on your learners and their learning.
Select 'Next' for more information about each of these.
Related resources
New browser window: IfL Guidelines for Continuing Professional Development.