Teacher Professional Development and Student Mathematics Achievement: A Meta-Analysis of the Effects and Moderators

An essential element for increasing student mathematics achievement is providing teachers with professional development (PD) aimed at the design and delivery of high-quality mathematics instruction. To date, however, there is a lack of consistent data on the efficacy of PD on student outcomes; moreover, there is a need to explore PD characteristics as moderators of student outcomes. The purpose of this meta-analysis was to synthesize the effects of teacher PD on mathematics outcomes for students in PreK through 12th grade. Additionally, this study explored whether specific characteristics (i.e., grade level, format, PD focus, PD days, and inclusion of students with or at risk of disabilities) served as potential moderators of the effect of PD programs. The 20 studies included in the review investigated PD intended for in-service teachers who work with a full range of learners, including students with or at risk of disabilities. The results showed that there was a positive average effect of PD on student mathematics outcomes (g = 0.34, 95% PI = [−0.47, 1.15]), with wide heterogeneity of most effects ranging from −0.20 to 5.83. In addition, the five moderators examined in this meta-analysis were not significantly correlated with the relation between PD efficacy and student mathematics outcomes. Recommendations for improving the features of PD programs as well as exploring mechanisms of change hypothesized to improve student mathematics outcomes are discussed.