Sport Premium Survey – Primary teacher professional development in England for Physical Education.

@Cambridge_Uni @PESSP_PD_study are conducting a study about teacher professional development in England for Physical Education. This study is organised by the Medical Research Council Epidemiology Unit and the Faculty of Education at the University of Cambridge.

Overview of the research study

1. The UK government provides funding via the Primary PE and Sport Premium to primary schools in England to improve the quality of PE, physical activity and sport.
2. Schools are instructed to use some of this funding to upskill existing staff in teaching PE and sport.
3. The Department for Education has reported that the majority of schools have historically used some of this funding for professional development programmes and activities, but we do not know what those professional development programmes and activities look like , or how they have been supported.
4. We know from research studies that teacher professional development can have a significant positive impact on teaching quality and pupil outcomes. However, evidence suggests that this impact is variable and that this is due to how it is designed, and how professional development is supported by senior leaders within schools.
5. Therefore, the current study aims to investigate primary school teachers’ experiences of professional development in the 2021-2022 school year, and their perceptions about senior leadership support.
6. The findings will be used to determine if and how improvements can be made for future cohorts.

What will happen to the results of the research study?

1. Participants will be asked if they would like to be sent a copy of the results.
2. The results will also be shared with relevant stakeholders (e.g. the Department for Education), researchers who study teacher professional learning and school-based physical activity, practitioners, and professional development providers.
3. We also expect to publish the results from the study in an academic journal.
4. We will not publish any details that identify teachers personally, the schools in which they work, or the organisations that provided the professional development.