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

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 attende</jats:p>