Features of effective professional development

Research and practice over the past twenty years in education has supported the development of a new consensus about professional development (Corcoran, 2007; Elmore, 2002; Desimone, Porter, Garet, Yoon, & Birman 2002). That consensus suggests a need to shift from involving individual teachers in a roster of short-term activities that cover a wide-range of topics to engaging groups of teachers in a series of related activities that are more closely connected to teachers’ day-to-day classroom responsibilities and are focused on the improvement of student learning in a specific content area.

Findings from a national study of 93% of public school districts in the United States carried out by Laura Desimone, Andrew Porter and their colleagues (Desimone et. al., 2002), for example, found 6 different features of professional development that were related to reported increases in teachers’ knowledge and skills and teaching practice:

• “Reform oriented” activities, such as a study group, mentorship, network, or research group rather than “traditional” workshops, courses, or conferences.
• Activities that involved more hours and took place over a longer span of time rather than shorter activities.
• Activities that emphasized collective participation of teachers from the same school, rather than individuals from many schools.
• Activities that involve active learning.
• Activities that are coherent and connected to school goals, aligned with state standards and linked to other professional development opportunities.
• Activitities that focus on relevant content.

Follow-up studies suggest that “change would occur if teachers received consistent, high-quality professional development” (Desimone et. al., 2002 p. 105), but that most teachers do not receive professional development of sufficient quality. In the absence of increased resources, Desimone and her colleagues suggest that in-depth, focused professional development with a small number of teachers may be more effective than more superficial efforts to address the needs of all teachers.