High-quality professional development in physical education: the role of a subject association

In this article, we report on a longitudinal action research project undertaken to explore the role that a subject association in the United Kingdom has chosen to play in ensuring that continuing professional development (CPD) provided for its members is of high quality. The Professional Development Board for Physical Education, which functions within the Association for Physical Education (UK), has introduced a proactive, self-initiated and self-regulated model of quality assurance. The providers involved are a range of individuals, organisations and bodies that provide CPD for physical education and school sport professionals. The article proposes that, for a self-initiated and self-regulated model of quality assurance to be successful, a democratic model of professionalism needs to be adopted by CPD providers. It goes on to suggest that the outcomes of such a model will lead to the development of a learning community for providers, which will, in turn, lead to improvement of their practice resulting in better professional development opportunities for participants and impacting positively on the end users of the CPD provision.