Identifying the professional development needs of early career teachers in Scotland using nominal group technique

Kennedy, Aileen and Clinton, Colleen (2009) Identifying the professional development needs of early career teachers in Scotland using nominal group technique. Teacher Development, 13 (1). pp. 29-41. ISSN 1366-4530

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Abstract

This paper reports on phase 1 of a project commissioned by Learning and Teaching Scotland (the lead organisation for curriculum development in Scotland) to explore the continuing professional development needs of teachers in Scotland in years 2-6 of their careers. Nominal group technique (NGT) was employed to identify the CPD needs of year 2-6 teachers and to identify the relative priority of these needs. The NGT data were subsequently used, together with findings from a review of literature, to inform a national survey. The paper outlines key issues arising from the NGT phase. Conclusions consider some of the potential drawbacks of NGT as a method but focus on the added value which the NGT process contributed to the overall project design.