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University of Chester

The management of continuing professional development in General Further Education Colleges when intentionally aiming to improve Ofsted inspection from an ‘inadequate’ or ‘requires improvement’ grading to ‘good’.

Abstract

dc:description.abstract

The area of teachers’ continuing professional development (CPD) is in the spotlight. This study considers the range of CPD opportunities that are implemented for teachers in General Further Education Colleges (GFECs) following an “inadequate” or “requires improvement” Ofsted inspection in order to achieve a future grading of “good”. The study draws on specific theoretical insights from the literature concerned with teacher professional development in the Further Education (FE) sector. In doing so, the study evaluates the spectrum of CPD models that were on offer within eleven GFECs that took part in the study by using a constant comparative approach. Using data generated from the eleven GFECs and also Kennedy’s (2014b) framework of CPD models as a lens for analysis, I identified five CPD models, which I then classified in relation to their top-down or developmental approach, and also the extent to which the activities identified underpinned professional autonomy and transformative practice. Using CPD as the point of analysis, the study investigates eleven GFECs, and whether the approach taken by the various colleges, prioritises individual or collective development. It then goes on to examine the contribution of resources, roles and responsibilities of individuals and teams within the particular context in which they operated. The findings generated from this study argue that continuous improvement is the result of a change in culture that is initiated by the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) and middle managers, and the success of this cultural change hinges on a series of mechanisms that support the achievement of “higher standards” in teaching and learning.

Degree

thesis:*
Name dc:type.qualificationname
Doctor of Business Administration
Level dc:type.qualificationlevel
Prof Doc Thesis
Grantor dc:publisher.institution
University of Chester
Year dc:date.issued
2018

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Author dc:creator
  • Flanda, W.

Subjects

dc:subject × 9

Rights

dc:rights
Statement dc:rights
  • All rights reserved

Identifiers

dc:identifier.*
Identifier
oai:westminsterresearch.westminster.ac.uk:vx411
OAI identifier oai:identifier
oai:westminsterresearch.westminster.ac.uk:vx411

Chain of custody

source
Harvested from
University of Westminster
Base URL
westminsterresearch.westminster.ac.uk/oai2
Last updated
2026-07-24
Source record
OAI-PMH GetRecord
citation

Flanda, W.. The management of continuing professional development in General Further Education Colleges when intentionally aiming to improve Ofsted inspection from an ‘inadequate’ or ‘requires improvement’ grading to ‘good’.. Prof Doc Thesis thesis, University of Chester, 2018.