The history of the International Professional Development Association (ipda) dates back to the founding of the in-service training section of the Association for Teachers in Colleges and Departments of Education (ATCDE) in 1968. As a result of various organisational mergers over the years it became the In-Service Section of the National Association of Teachers in Further and Higher Education (NATFHE), the In-Service Staff Tutors' Association (ISTA) and the In-Service Professional Development Association (IPDA) with a thread of continuity running throughout.
Corporate and individual members are engaged in professional development and professional learning in all phases of education and training and in a wide variety of work locations.
ipda has also encouraged the growth of regional and national associations beginning with ipda Cymru, which became the model for the launch of ipda Scotland and ipda Ireland followed by ipda England in 2008. It has also been committed to developing support for a wider international network of associations. These local associations have their own elected committee whose conveners are represented on the ipda international committee.
The Association produces an academic journal ‘Professional Development in Education’ (formerly entitled the 'British Journal of in In-Service Education' and the ‘Journal of In-Service Education’). It also holds an annual international conference and organises a regular seminar programme.
The Association's aims as stated in the Constitution are -
- to provide a forum and promote networks of individual educators and institutions concerned with professional development
- to support, develop and promote good professional development practice
- to encourage and support the establishment of international, national and regional groups
- to gather and disseminate information on all aspects of professional development in education and training
- to monitor, evaluate and comment upon professional development policy and practice
- to develop effective relationships with other educational and training organisations in Britain, Europe and the rest of the world
- to support, promote and undertake appropriate research
- to constitute a resource to policy makers and to Association members
- to facilitate the publication of related journals and other publications
- to advise and influence policy makers where appropriate
