CPD Scotland
Glossary
This glossary explains terms used in CPD - Continuing Professional Development. It is not intended to be exhaustive in educational terms, nor does it include an explanation of every word used in the case study extracts. Instead, it seeks to clarify meanings in order to remove potential barriers to understanding and help the reader to appreciate the messages intended more fully.
Keyword search
| Partnership | Recognises all stakeholders in a pupil's learning and their contribution to the process. Schools and parents often work in partnership. In some cases, social work and psychological services may also contribute to this partnership to help individual pupils make progress. |
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| Peer assessment | Where pupils or colleagues provide feedback on another's work. This works best if the criteria have been shared and fully understood; if the teacher has modelled the process; and if quality is monitored as it is undertaken. Peer assessment can provide the bridge between teacher assessment and self-assessment. That is, it can be a stage in the process of helping pupils become confident and skilled in self-assessment, as opposed to relying always on the teacher. |
| Peer feedback | Pupils or colleagues provide advice on others' work, based on peer assessment, making clear the strengths and an area for improvement. In some schools 'two stars and a wish' has established a culture where everyone expects constructive advice. |
| Peer observation | Staff seeking to improve their practice ask a colleague to watch them as a critical friend and make notes on points agreed. This provides a non-threatening opportunity for objective assessment. Points raised in subsequent discussion become ideas for improvement. |
| Peer teaching | A strategy for checking how well pupils have understood a topic or issue – or, perhaps more significantly, one of ensuring high motivation in undertaking a task or project. For example, in jigsawing, pupils might read materials and research a range of resources, becoming 'experts' on a topic, which they then teach to others. |
| PEO (Principal Education Officer) | A category of post within the Learning Development division of LT Scotland. |
| Personal learning plan | Any means used to record outcomes of discussions in which learners are involved in identifying strengths, areas for development and targets for improvement. In Assessment is for Learning, it is the process of planning which is valued and learners may record the outcomes in any way agreed. |
| Personal learning planning | The process in which pupils, teachers and other relevant stakeholders, including parents and carers, are involved in discussions about an individual's strengths, areas for development and goals for self-improvement. Personal learning planning is key in addressing individual learning needs, and covers concepts such as self-evaluation, identifying and reflecting on the evidence of learning, planning, goal-setting and monitoring. This process feeds into a range of developmental areas including career and personal development. The discussions between the teacher and the learner can help to define objectives, highlight progress and illustrate the way forward (next steps). |
| PGCE (Postgraduate Certificate in Education) | If a person already has a degree, they can do a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) course to obtain either the Teaching Qualification (Primary Education) or the Teaching Qualification (Secondary Education). (For entry to the PGCE secondary course, their degree must have sufficient breadth and depth in the subject they wish to teach.) |
| PGDE (Postgraduate Diploma in Education) | Postgradute Diploma in Education. Most universities have now replaced their PGCE course with this new postgraduate diploma course. |
| Point of reference | In working toward improvement, a means by which progress can be measured. Also known Benchmarking. |
| Post-14 RG (Post-14 Reference Group) | The LT Scotland Post-14 Reference Group maintains an overview of developments in post-14 education and offers advice to the Advisory Council as appropriate. |
| Practicability | The extent to which a strategy or task is manageable or can be carried out, within a range of constraints – for example, time, cost, staffing. |
| PRD | Professional review and development; the process by which teachers review their knowledge and skills and, in discussion, agree a plan of CPD activities to address their needs and share their strengths. |
| professional communities | Groups of like-minded people who form a community for discussion and sharing of interesting practice. Many, like Heads Together, only exist online, or are enhanced by online tools. See Glowgroups. |
| professional recognition | Recognition by the General Teaching Council for Scotland GTCS for work completed by individual teachers. |
| project leader | The person who leads the project and has responsibility for meeting goals set. |
| PSD (Personal and Social Development) | One of the 5-14 curriculum areas. Personal and social development is a fundamental aspect of the education of the whole child. It is essentially concerned with the development of life skills. All aspects of a child's experience at home, in school and outwith school contribute to personal and social development. |
| PSE (Personal and Social Education) | It refers to both the curriculum and lessons in this area and covers all the learning experiences and opportunities in class and in other school contexts which promote the personal and social development of pupils. |
| PTA (Parent-Teacher Association) | Many schools have PTAs as well as, or instead of, school boards. They exist to work on behalf of or in support of the school. |