A learning theory‐based exploratory analysis of teacher professional development interventions for formative assessment

Abstract There is substantial evidence in cognitive psychology for the effectiveness of learning theory‐based principles, such as activating prior knowledge or retrieval practice, for learning. In this exploratory study, we analysed to what degree such learning theory‐based principles are applied in teacher professional development (TPD) interventions for formative assessment and how, and whether differences in the use of these principles between TPD interventions explain differences in the effectiveness of such interventions. We found that the impact of TPD interventions for formative assessment on student achievement was evaluated rigorously in very few studies, with only five in our sample. Our results also showed that most learning theory‐based principles were applied only to a very limited degree, and not deliberately. Both findings imply that no patterns relating the application of learning theory‐based principles and intervention effectiveness were discernible. However, given the general evidence for the principles, there is probably much to gain by applying the learning theory‐based principles when developing TPD interventions for formative assessment. Context and implications Rationale for this study Studies in cognitive psychology have resulted in clear principles to promote learning. It is unknown whether these have been used to improve teacher professional development (for formative assessment). Why the new findings matter The limited use of learning theory‐based principles in TPD development is remarkable, as there is strong evidence that these principles are effective. Implications for researchers Only 5 of 44 evaluated studies adhered to high standards for randomised controlled trials set by Cheung and Slavin (2016) and What Works Clearinghouse (2020), meaning that we ultimately have very little reliable data on the effectiveness of TPD interventions for formative assessment. If we want to know what influences improvement in teacher skills when conducting TPD interventions, then better interventions and evaluations are needed. The learning theory‐based principles themselves are the result of thorough research, and it is therefore worthwhile to further investigate how the learning theory‐based principles can be used to improve TPD interventions for formative assessment.