What makes online professional development effective? The effect of quality characteristics on teachers? satisfaction and changes in their professional practices*

The number of online professional development (PD) activities for teachers has increased over the past decade. While there is evidence on characteristics of effective face-to-face PD, little is known about the quality of online PD activities. The present study investigates the quality of online PD activities as perceived by teachers, and the association of PD quality with teachers' satisfaction and their changes in practice. The study is based on survey data from N = 387 teachers who participated in a formal online PD activity. Our results indicate high levels of cognitive activation, as well as high clarity and structure of the online PD activity, and moderate levels of collaboration among participants in online PD. While all quality characteristics predict teachers' satisfaction, only cognitive activation and collaboration in online PD predict changes in teachers' professional practices.

Automated summary

The number of online professional development activities for teachers has increased, but little is known about the quality of these activities. This study investigates the perceived quality of online PD activities by teachers and its association with their satisfaction and changes in practice. Results show high levels of cognitive activation, clarity, and structure in online PD, as well as moderate levels of collaboration. Cognitive activation and collaboration predict changes in teachers' professional practices.