Professional development and recognition opportunities for learning development practitioners: international perspectives

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.47408/jldhe.vi37.1747

Keywords:

job role taxonomy, professional development, professional recognition, promotion pathway

Abstract

Learning Development (LD) practitioners have access to an expanding range of professional recognition and development opportunities (see Briggs, 2023). However, reports from members of the LD community highlight variations in the extent to which CPD engagement is facilitated and supported. Associated research that has sought to objectively establish trends pertaining to the factors that inhibit, or support engagement is limited. This 2024-25 ALDinHE funded international research study addressed this gap in knowledge through establishing the factors that impact on LD practitioner access to and engagement with professional development and recognition. To facilitate meaningful comparisons of LD practitioners a taxonomy of LD roles was also developed (as proposed by Briggs, 2025).

In autumn 2024, an online questionnaire (comprising open and closed questions) was sent to Academic Language and Learning Development Practitioners. This was administered with support of the International Consortium of Academic Language and Learning Developers (ICALLD) membership and included UK (ALDinHE), Australia (AALL), New Zealand (ATLAANZ), Canada (LSAC) and South Africa. Responses were analysed through a mix of established qualitative and quantitative methods. 

In this session we shared our proposed thematic taxonomy of LD roles. We then presented results detailing the personal, institutional, national or international factors found to support or inhibit the professional development, recognition and promotion routes available to Academic Language and LD Practitioners. We invited attendees to discuss and share reflections on our findings.

Author Biographies

Steve Briggs, University of Bedfordshire

Steve Briggs is Director of Learning, Teaching and Libraries at the University of Bedfordshire. Steve is a former Co-Chair of the Association for Learning Development in Higher Education and currently a member of the Committee for the Association of National Teaching Fellows. He is a Chartered Psychologist, National Teaching Fellow (2020) and PFHEA.

Ralitsa Kantcheva, University of Bedfordshire

Ralitsa Kantcheva is Senior Learning Development Tutor at the University of Bedfordshire.  Ralitsa is a Co-Chair of the ALDinHE Research Community of Practice and an active member of the Peer-mentoring ALDinHE Community of Practice. Ralitsa is a SFHEA.

References

Briggs, S. (2025) Redefining the work of learning development practitioners, Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education, 33.

Briggs, S. (2023) Professional development and recognition in LD, in Syska, A. & Buckley, C. (eds). How to be a Learning Developer in Higher Education. London, Routledge, pp. 220 – 229.

Briggs, S. and Kantcheva, R. (2025) Developing a taxonomy of learning development job roles. Available at: https://icalld.wordpress.com/events (Accessed: 06 May 2025).

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Published

30-09-2025

How to Cite

Briggs, S., & Kantcheva, R. (2025). Professional development and recognition opportunities for learning development practitioners: international perspectives . Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education, (37). https://doi.org/10.47408/jldhe.vi37.1747

Issue

No. 37 (2025): Special Edition, ALDinHE Conference Proceedings and Reflections

Section

Conference Proceedings

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Copyright (c) 2025 Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education

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