Advances in cognitive science, psychology, and neuroscience over the past decade have deepened our understanding of how pupils learn. For experienced teachers, this has often affirmed intuitive practices. For newer professionals, it has helped shape the contours of their initial teacher training. Either way, one thing is clear: these insights have not only enriched the teaching profession but, when applied well, have tangibly improved learning outcomes for pupils. However, between the research findings and the micro-decisions we make in the classroom lies a vital space, which is shaped by the quality of professional development (PD), how we interpret and apply our learning, and the insights we develop through lived practice.
In this blog, I share some reflections from leading professional development at school and trust level, and from observing approaches across the sector. My focus is on how we can move from concept futility—terms that are named but poorly understood—to concept utility—ideas that are purposeful, applied effectively, and make a real difference in the classroom.
Language: Building Bridges, Not Barriers
Language has the power to include or exclude. Over time, I’ve learned that the way we introduce and use educational terminology can either open up understanding or shut it down. We should strive to meet colleagues where they are, using language to invite them into learning, not to position ourselves as gatekeepers of knowledge.
Technical terms like metacognition, meta-analysis, or randomised controlled trial are important, but without clear explanations or accessible shorthand, they can feel abstract or intimidating. Offering simple, meaningful shorthand terms supports understanding and provides a shared language for CPD conversations. Over time, this fosters depth of learning and continued engagement.
When designing PD, it’s worth reflecting on the terms we use and how we explain them. Language either amplifies or diminishes understanding and our role as leaders of learning is to make complex ideas more understandable, not less.
Purpose BEFORE Process
One of the most impactful shifts I’ve seen in teacher development is starting with purpose before delving into process. Take checking for understanding, for example. When we begin by exploring why this practice matters and how it supports responsive teaching and formative assessment, we set the stage for deeper learning. Teachers then see the point of various strategies, rather than viewing them as isolated techniques.
Too often, strategies like using mini whiteboards are introduced as ends in themselves. This risks reducing powerful pedagogical tools to performative routines executed carelessly. Mini whiteboards, when framed as one of many ways to check for understanding, become part of a broader repertoire. We need to spend time unpacking both the purpose behind the strategy, the alternatives that exist, and which tool works best in different situations. Don’t get me wrong: having a handy step-by-step guide on how a teaching technique plays out is illuminating. However in my experience, it’s unlikely to have maximal impact unless the teacher deeply understands it’s purpose and in what situations it actually makes a difference to learning.
Sequencing PD to begin with purpose, build shared understanding, and only then zoom into specific processes leads to stronger, more reflective practice.
The Role of Naturalistic Decision-Making and Coaching
In recent years, I’ve become increasingly interested in Gary Klein’s work on Naturalistic Decision Making (NDM). Unlike traditional decision-making models based on rational choice and ideal conditions, NDM examines how experts make decisions in real-world, high-pressure environments…sound familiar?
In their 1993 research, Orasanu and Connolly identified key features of such environments:
- Ill-structured problems
- Uncertain, dynamic contexts
- Shifting or competing goals
- Time stress
- High stakes
- Multiple players
- Organisational constraints
These features are present in nearly every classroom, every day. Teachers are constantly navigating shifting dynamics and making rapid decisions based on what they observe. Recognising this highlights just how complex and skilled teaching truly is.
So, what does this mean for PD? Coaching, when done well, provides a vital opportunity for teachers to reflect on the why behind their decisions. By revisiting lessons with a focus on their in-the-moment choices, teachers can develop greater awareness of what influenced their actions, what impact they had, and how to build on them. This doesn’t mean adding more theory for its own sake. It means making the invisible work of teaching visible, discussable, and improvable.
From Knowing to Knowing How
The challenge and opportunity lie in how we translate research and theory into real decisions in living, breathing classrooms. When professional development is purpose-led, language-sensitive, and rooted in the realities of classroom complexity, it does more than inform…it empowers and promotes teacher agency.
As educators, we are not just applying other people’s research. We are building a professional knowledge base of our own, refined through practice, coaching, and deep reflection. In that middle space between research and classroom reality, there is immense potential. It’s where theory becomes action and where action becomes learning that lasts.
Lekha Sharma- Teacher Feature 