Deepening Teachers' Practice: A Literature Review of Effective Teacher Professional Development

• In Event: Investing in a Diverse, Quality Teacher Workforce: From Recruitment to Retention

Abstract

This paper reviews studies of effective teacher professional development (PD) models that have demonstrated a positive link between teacher PD, teaching practices, and student outcomes. The review focuses on, and expands the consensus articulated by Desimone and others, about key principles in the design of learning experiences that can impact teachers’ knowledge and practice. Such a thorough review has not been conducted since 2009 and adds significantly to the knowledge base of the field.

The review consists of 35 studies that emerged from an extensive search of the literature over the last three decades which met the study’s methodological criteria: they featured a careful experimental or comparison group design, or they analyzed student outcomes with statistical controls for context variables and student characteristics.

Through that review, researchers identified seven widely shared features of effective professional development. Specifically, such effective professional development:

Is Content focused: Professional development that focuses on teaching strategies associated with specific curriculum content supports teachers’ learning within their classroom contexts. This element includes an intentional focus on discipline-specific curriculum development and pedagogies in areas such as mathematics, science, or literacy.

Incorporates active learning: Active learning engages teachers directly in designing and trying out teaching strategies, providing them an opportunity to engage in the same style of learning they are designing for their students. Such professional development uses authentic artifacts, interactive activities, and other strategies to provide deeply embedded, highly contextualized professional learning.

Supports collaboration: High-quality professional development creates space for teachers to share ideas and collaborate in their learning, often in job-embedded contexts. By working collaboratively, teachers can create communities that positively change the culture and instruction of their entire grade level, department, school, and/or district.

Models of effective practice: Curricular models and modeling of instruction provide teachers with a clear vision of what best practices look like. Teachers may view models that include lesson plans, unit plans, sample student work, observations of peer teachers, and video or written cases of teaching.

Provides coaching and expert support: Coaching and expert support involve the one-on-one sharing of expertise about content and evidence-based practices, focused directly on teachers’ individual needs.

Offers feedback and reflection: High-quality professional learning frequently provides built-in time for teachers to intentionally think about, receive input on, and make changes to their practice by facilitating reflection and soliciting feedback.

Is of sustained duration: Effective professional development provides teachers with adequate time to learn, practice, implement, and reflect upon new strategies that facilitate changes in their practice.

The paper ends by identifying conditions for teaching and learning both within schools and at the broader, system level that can inhibit the effectiveness of PD. For example, inadequate resourcing for PDf frequently exacerbates inequities and hinders school improvement efforts. Failure to align policies toward a coherent set of practices is also a major impediment, as is a unhealthy school culture. Implementing effective PD well also requires responsiveness to the needs of educators and learners and to the contexts in which teaching and learning will take place.

Authors

• Linda Darling-Hammond, Learning Policy Institute

• Maria E. Hyler, Learning Policy Institute

• Madelyn Gardner, Learning Policy Institute

• Daniel Espinoza, Learning Policy Institute