A trajectory for the development of professional leadership in science education

This theoretical paper presents the Trajectory of Professional Development (TOPD) as a conceptual model for teacher continuous professional development (CPD). The model’s five stages are described and justified using rich descriptive statements from teachers and teacher educators working with the University of Manchester’s Science & Engineering Education Research and Innovation Hub (SEERIH). The paper offers insight into the nature of professional progression and contributes to the literature on teacher leadership, by focusing more on the process of professional development from the juxtaposed perspectives of participant and teacher educator, comparing the TOPD model to that of Fairman and MacKenzie’s ‘Nine Spheres’ (2012).