Beyond the linear standard: What circular models can teach us about teachers’ continuing professional learning needs in Australia, England, Japan and The Netherlands

• Published in: Teaching and teacher education Vol. 138; p. 104413
• Main Authors: van der Lans, Rikkert M., Jansen in de Wal, Joost, Daas, Remmert, Durksen, Tracy L., Inoue, Noriyuki, Wilson, Elaine, Cornelissen, Frank
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01.02.2024
• ISSN: 0742-051X; 1879-2480
• DOI: 10.1016/j.tate.2023.104413

Accurate identification of teachers' continuing professional learning (CPL) needs is paramount to create relevant professional development opportunities. How teachers' CPL needs can best be identified is, however, a question often unaddressed. This study introduces different classes of identification methods: linear-dominance, linear-unfolding, and circular-unfolding. The TALIS 2018 data collected from primary education teachers in Australia, England, Japan, and the Netherlands were used to assess exemplar psychometric models for each methodological class. The circular-unfolding method was found to identify teachers’ CPL needs best. Outcomes are related to prior research and linked to cultural dispositions and educational policy contexts of the studied countries.