The Effects of High-Quality Professional Development on Teachers’ Skills, Beliefs, and Knowledge: A Meta-Analysis

This meta-analysis examined the components of high-quality professional development (PD; i.e., active, intense, content-focused, coherent) and the impact on teachers’ skills, beliefs, and knowledge, as well as student outcomes. A secondary aim was to examine the methodologies used in causal PD research and identify gaps in the literature. A comprehensive search of published and unpublished research between 1986 and 2023 resulted in 112 studies that met prescribed criteria—PD as the primary intervention for preschool through 12th grade teachers. Results indicated that PD significantly affects teacher outcomes. PD had a greater impact on skills compared to beliefs and was evidenced when it included active participation, more than 40 hours, and had content-focused goals. Additionally, PD impacted knowledge more than beliefs when it included collective participation opportunities. Further, positive effects on student outcomes were observed. Few studies reported social validity (i.e., coherence) or fidelity data. We assess the risk of bias in the included studies using standard error, funnel plot, trim and fill, and various sensitivity analyses. This systematic review included studies irrespective of quality, which is a limitation addressed thoroughly. The findings emphasized the need for multifaceted PD to include the high-quality components. Comprehensive and consistent measurement of skills, beliefs, and knowledge, including student outcomes over time, is essential for a deeper understanding of PD's efficacy.