The Standards of Practice and Education Committee approved a written questionnaire. Two outside consultants from OISE/UT were contracted to create the pre-test questionnaire. Several consultation sessions were held between the consultants and staff of the Standards of Practice and Education Unit. In April 1998, the Committee agreed to pre-test the questionnaire.

Pre-test

Using a representative sample of the College membership, 69 questionnaires were mailed directly to College member's homes in June 1998. The Institute for Social Research at York University provided the mail-out and statistical data information on returns.

The pre-test return rate was 42 per cent. The survey returns were very slow. However, excellent feedback was provided on question sequencing and clarity. These results were used to create a revised questionnaire in the fall of 1998.

Larger Survey

The Standards of Practice and Education Committee decided that the questionnaire would be distributed to a larger group of classroom teachers. Using the College's registry system, a random sample group of 1,200 members was created. This sample group was then used as the foundation for the larger survey sample. A random sample of 870 classroom teachers was selected from the pool of 1,200 (800 English and 70 French).

The College contracted the Institute for Social Research at York University to distribute the survey to the larger group of members. The implementation strategy included four mailings if needed. In March 1999, the first coded mailing was made, followed by a postcard reminder after three weeks if the questionnaire had not been returned. In late April 1999, a second mailing was made to all non-respondents of the first mailing. Three weeks later a final postcard reminder was mailed to all non-respondents.

The Institute for Social Research compiled the survey results with data sets and frequencies and made this information available to the College in June 1999.

Professional learning is defined as any learning activity participants undertake with deliberate intention of gaining additional skills, knowledge and understandings related to teaching. In this first part of the questionnaire, we asked participants to think about their professional learning activities in the last two years. This included the 1996-97 and 1997-98 school years and the preceding summers.

Listed below are activities typically associated with professional learning. Ninety-two per cent of the respondents indicated they had participated in formal learning activities in the last two years. The formal learning activities are indicated below.

• 81 per cent indicated that they also had an opportunity to share ideas and experiences a" great deal, quite a lot, or a fair amount" with other teachers
• 67 per cent of respondents stated that the course or program fitted well into other formal programs taken
• 60 per cent said that they received little or no recognition at their school for completing the course
• 40 per cent of members who said they had learned "a great deal", also said they could use what they had learned "almost immediately" in their teaching
• 25 per cent of respondents had learned "quite a lot" and 27 per cent had learned "a fair amount
• 23 per cent indicated "usefulness" of the formal program "inspired them to learn more about the topics covered"
• 17 per cent said the course helped refine the member's "philosophy of teaching or education"
• seven per cent of respondents replied that they had learned "little" in their formal learning activities

• 75 per cent of the respondents served on some committee or body at their school
• 58 per cent served on a school body dealing with issues of curriculum, assessment or other issues of teaching/learning
• 49 per cent served on a school body dealing with issues of school administration, student discipline, budget or other matters not directly concerned with teaching
• 32 per cent served on a body dealing with educational issues, involving organizations beyond their school
• 27 per cent acted as a associate teacher and/or coordinated practicums
• 23 per cent served on a local school council or other school governance committee
• six per cent participated in an exchange program, study tour or similar experience

• 32 per cent experienced a substantial change in the responsibilities of their current job
• 29 per cent took on some managerial role
• 24 per cent became a department/organizational unit head or something similar
• 24 per cent made some other change of job within the school
• 16 per cent made some other change of job involving a new work organization
• four per cent were seconded to a position on another organization (e.g. from a school to a board office or the Ministry)

Informal learning programs

In comparing the importance of formal and informal learning activities, 67 per cent of the respondents viewed both of equal importance in what they learned. Only five per cent considered formal learning activities to be more important to their overall learning.

In this section we asked questions about respondents' needs and resources for professional learning. They responded to a series of statements.

Available resources

• 82 per cent have a staff room or lounge, which is suitable for small discussion groups
• 46 per cent reported they had an effective way of publicizing learning opportunities for professional learning
• 64 per cent have a library or resource collection specifically for professional learning
• 48 per cent indicated they had an active in-service program over the last two years

Over 50 per cent of respondents stated that their first, second or third priority was implementing new curriculum.

About 1/3 of the respondents ranked first, second or third other learning priorities:

• curriculum materials
• dealing effectively with students with differing levels of ability
• classroom management and student discipline
• evaluating, reporting and managing student assessment.

Internet access

In general, College members who responded to this survey are very active in a variety of formal learning programs. Ninety-two per cent (92 per cent) confirmed their participation in at least one formal program during the last two years.

Another major finding of the professional learning survey is that College members who completed the questionnaire have been heavily involved in various informal learning activities during the last two years.

The majority of the respondents to the questionnaire (over 75 per cent) agreed that as they became more experienced, their interests in professional learning became much more focussed. As well, they said that their school culture encouraged professional learning and that most of the time they could find the professional learning programs and resources they needed. Most of the respondents (70 per cent) said they felt very much in control of their professional learning. Very few respondents (15 per cent) agreed that professional development (PD) days provided most of the professional learning needed in a typical year.

This questionnaire survey was the first quantitative research project for the Standards of Practice and Education Committee. The results will be helpful in the decision-making process related to the development of a professional learning framework for the teaching profession in Ontario. The Standards of Practice and Education Committee will consider expanding the research database with a second survey on professional learning for the members of the College who are in leadership roles.