The Politics of Teacher Professional Development: Policy, Research and Practice. Routledge Research in Education.

Teacher professional development ('PD') is increasingly seen as vital for renewing and reforming national education systems in a global context of pressure for improved educational outcomes. National governments throughout the world promote professional development as a way of fostering quality teaching, student learning and enhanced learning outcomes. However, despite more directed attention to and interest in professional development, the influence of the broader conditions in which decisions about professional development are made remains insufficiently recognised and understood. For this reason, teacher professional development needs to be thought anew. [introduction extract]