Overview

This presentation deals with two crucial questions: (How) Can the impact of teacher professional development programmes be sustained? (How) Can the impact of teacher professional development programmes be scaled up? Theoretical models and empirical findings from impact research (e.g., Zehetmeier & Krainer, 2011) and innovation research (e.g., Cobb & Smith, 2008; Rogers, 2003) are combined to use them as a theoretical framework for the impact analysis of a professional development programme in Austria.

Impact research

The impact of professional development programmes is analysed by various studies (e.g., Sowder, 2007; Zehetmeier, 2014a). In this presentation, a comprehensive theoretical model covering the issue of impact of professional development programmes is used: The IPD-model (Impact of Professional Development model; Zehetmeier, 2008; Zehetmeier & Krainer, 2011) combines and integrates theories and results of previous research activities on this topic. Within this model, core elements constituting professional development activities and central levels of possible impact are juxtaposed; the impact of professional development programmes can be regarded as changes or innovations within the respective levels, which are influenced by fostering factors.

In this model, the following elements are used to describe teacher professional development programmes: participating teachers, participating facilitators, the programme itself, and the context that embeds the former three elements.

Zehetmeier (2008) introduces three major levels for describing teacher professional development programmes’ impact to be used in the IPD-model: the participating teachers’ knowledge, beliefs, and practice. Each of these levels can be defined in different ways. Details information will be provided during conference presentation.

Innovation research

Cobb and Smith (2008) highlight networks, shared vision, and mutual accountability as key factors for the scale-up of changes and impact in teacher education.

Teacher networks are described, for example, as groups of colleagues who provide social support in developing demanding instructional practices; this affords time built into the school schedule for collaboration among mathematics teachers and access to colleagues who have already developed relatively accomplished instructional practices.

Moreover, a shared vision of high quality instruction fosters the scale-up of impact: this includes a shared vision concerning the question of instructional goals (what students should know and be able to do) and the question how students' development of these forms of knowing can be supported.

Another key factor which fosters the scale-up of changes and impact in teacher education is mutual accountability: This means, for example: if school leaders hold teachers accountable for developing high-quality instructional practices, then – in turn – school leaders are mutually accountable to teachers for supporting teachers’ learning.

Rogers (2003) highlights that the diffusion and scale-up of innovations and impact depend on several characteristics: Relative advantage, compatibility, complexity, trialability, and observability. Fullan (2001) describes similar characteristics (need, clarity, complexity, quality, and practicality) that influence the acceptance and impact of innovations. During conference presentation, these characteristics will be provided in detail.

The professional development programme PFL

PFL (a German language acronym which means “Pedagogy and Subject Didactics for Teachers”) is an Austrian professional development programme (for more detail, see Rauch, Zehetmeier, & Erlacher, 2014), which is designed for teachers from all types of school, including all age groups of pupils. The overall focus of PFL is on the professional development of teachers in the fields of content, didactics and pedagogy. School development plays a central role without losing sight of classroom instruction. The focus is on the individual teachers’ own reflective practice using action research methods (Altrichter, Feldman, Posch, & Somekh, 2008). Participants are part of a community of practice (Wenger, 1998), since their work is embedded in a structure of mutual assistance and external support.

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