Transforming teacher beliefs through professional learning for powerful learning environments

This study examined whether a professional development (PD) programme on powerful learning environments (PLEs) could enhance teachers’ (collective) efficacy beliefs and expectations towards students placed in lower-track classrooms (grades 7 – 8) based on prior performance. The program, implemented over one school year, engaged 24 teachers in six teacher design teams (TDTs) functioning as professional learning communities, combining online training, lesson visits, and recorded lesson observations, followed by group reflections. A mixed-methods approach with pre-test-post-test measures and end-of-programme interviews assessed its impact. Significant effects were found for teacher selfefficacy in classroom management and student engagement. Selfefficacy in student engagement correlated positively with high expectations and self-efficacy in instructional strategies, whereas self-efficacy in classroom management showed no significant correlations. Interviews indicated increased awareness of expectations, stronger efficacy beliefs in classroom management, and improved collegial support within teams. These findings demonstrate the potential of professional learning to shift teacher beliefs and underscore the need for future PD initiatives to embed TDTs that provide ample opportunities for reflective practices and success experiences, supported by longitudinal research with larger samples. Over time, such efforts may foster teacher beliefs that promote PLEs and equitable opportunities for all students.