Introduction, Background, and Theoretical Framing

Evaluations redarding the long-term impact of innovations or programmes are well established in disciplines like health promotion, social medicine, or management research (e.g., Lawrence, Winn, & Jennings, 2001; Pluye, Potvin, & Denis, 2004; Scheirer, 2005). Despite its central importance, research on this issue is generally lacking within the educational disciplines (Datnow, 2006; Rogers, 2003). Hargreaves (2002) summarises the situation as follows: “The sustainability of educational change has, in this sense, become one of the key priorities in the field” (p. 120).

To deal with this “key priority”, a case study was conducted (Zehetmeier, 2008). This research provided both, an analysis of the long-term impact of teachers’ professional development activities, and a pilot testing of a model describing the impact of professional development programmes: the IPROD-model (Impact of Professional Development model; Zehetmeier, 2008, 2009a):

Figure 1: The IPROD-model

This case study’s results were presented at last years’ ECER conference in Vienna (Zehetmeier, 2009b). The findings pointed to various types of impact (e.g., short-term or long-term; planned or unintended) on different levels (e.g., new knowledge, changed beliefs, or new teaching practices). In particular, the study provided answers to the question of factors fostering these kinds of impact: Among others, networking and joint reflection turned out to be the most important factors facilitating the sustainability of impact (Lerman & Zehetmeier, 2008; Zehetmeier, 2009b).

Current research

A follow-up research project that is predicated on this previous case study is currently set up. This new project analyses and compares various cases and bigger samples of teachers. It is expected to provide answers regarding (among others) the following questions:

• Does a professional development programme show different sustainable impact on different participating teachers? Are there any patterns?
• Are there any hierarchical structures within the different levels of impact? Does one level require another one to occur?
• Are there any factors that promote certain levels of impact in a particular way?
• Which particular characteristics of teachers’ action research are fostering long-term impact – compared to other forms of professional development?
• Are there any “universal” factors fostering sustainable impact?

This piece of research – which will help widening the scope from evaluations of short-term effects to analyses of sustainable impact – appears to be necessary and promising; from the perspective of both scholarship and practice.

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