About ipda

The Association was founded in 1968 as the in-service section of what was then the Association of Teachers in Colleges and Departments of Education. In recent years the Association has encouraged the growth of regional and national associations. Following the model of ipda Cymru, ipda Scotland then ipda Ireland were successfully launched. The launch of ipda England in 2008 and on-going discussions with colleagues in Europe and overseas lend weight to the claim of ipda to be both a truly UK wide and fully International organisation. The individual members of ipda are engaged in professional development in all phases of education and training and in a wide variety of work locations Members are united in their desire to enhance the quality and effectiveness of Professional Development. Ipda draws strength from the diversity of its membership and is rightly proud of the international reputation of the Association's journal 'Professional Development in Education' (previously named 'Journal of In-Service Education') the leading Journal in its field. The Association publishes a Newsletter available to members on line and in hard copy if requested.

Every year three prizes are awarded by the Association for outstanding contributions to professional development. The prize winners are invited to the annual international conference where the presentations take place. All ipda members are invited to nominate students who, in their judgement, are making an outstanding contribution to the professional development of others. Students need to be enrolled or registered on a degree programme.

Each National Association has its own committee with the chairs of those committees represented on the ipda international committee.

For further discussion on the growth and development of ipda, click here to listen to the views of Tony Bates, Ken Jones and Alex Alexandrou.

Our aims

to support, develop and promote good professional development practice;
to provide a forum and promote networks of individuals concerned with professional development in education and training;
to gather and disseminate information on all aspects of professional development in education and training to our members;
to monitor and evaluate policy and practice developments;
to liaise with other education and training groups both national and international;
to give advice to aid the development of effective policy and practice