The roles of professional development leaders

Professional development leaders play a crucial role in effective professional development. However, they are underresearched and often lack opportunities for their own professional development. This article summarises findings from an ongoing series of studies focused on the leadership of professional development. These include a model of professional development leadership, which defines three roles: coordinator, designer and facilitator; and the learning and practices used by facilitators of professional development, including how they learn and enact their roles and the choices they make in their practice. These studies support improved understanding of the leadership of professional development, in turn helping to identify ways in which those operating in the roles of professional development leader can be better supported.