Studying the Impact of Teacher Choice in Professional Learning
Typical approaches to professional learning are often driven by district or campus priorities, rather than by the individual needs of teachers. Adult learning and motivation theories emphasize the importance of allowing teachers autonomy over their own learning. Moreover, teachers may have the best understanding of what kind of learning would benefit them most, given their own backgrounds and in light of the specific students that they serve.
AIR partnered with the Texas Center for Educator Excellence (TxCEE) housed at Region 18 Education Service Center on a study to test the hypothesis that teachers and students would benefit when teachers were able to select the professional learning that they felt was best suited to their needs.
The MiPLAN Evaluation
Specifically, the Math Instructor Professional Learning Autonomous Network (MiPLAN) allowed teachers who provide math instruction in Grades 3–8 to select professional learning opportunities aligned with their needs and to receive financial support to participate in their selected professional learning. The teacher-selected learning activities were intended to count toward at least 80% of state-required annual time for professional learning.
To examine implementation of the program and its impacts on teacher and student outcomes, AIR randomly assigned 54 schools in Texas across two cohorts to either participate in MiPLAN or continue with business-as-usual professional learning during the 2022–23 and 2023–24 school years.
The goal of the project was to learn about program implementation to inform continuous improvement and to determine the impact of MiPLAN on teachers’ attitudes and beliefs (including how ready and motivated teachers were to learn and their satisfaction with their professional learning), on teachers’ math instruction, and on students’ math achievement.
To answer our research questions, we conducted teacher and administrator interviews, administered teacher surveys, conducted video-based observations of math lessons, and obtained student achievement scores on the Texas state math assessment.
Key Findings
Findings from this study suggest that MiPLAN had a positive impact on teachers’ perceptions of their readiness and motivation to learn, as well as their perceptions of the relevance of and choice in professional learning. At the same time, MiPLAN did not lead to significant improvements in teacher math instruction or student performance on the state math assessment, nor did it have negative impacts on these outcomes.
Teachers appreciated the flexibility that MiPLAN offered and the opportunity to select professional learning aligned with their individual needs. However, some teachers reported that they did not always have the opportunity to make their own selections, and some administrators indicated that they wanted a greater voice in professional learning decisions. In addition, although the program was intended to replace mandated professional learning, in most settings the program functioned as an addition to the required professional learning.
Overall, the findings suggest that supporting teacher choice in professional learning can offer meaningful benefits for teachers, while also highlighting the importance of implementation conditions in shaping how such models operate in practice.
