Professional Learning Partnerships: An Exploratory Study into How Institutions of Higher Education Can Support PK–12 Educators

Dr. Jonathan Becker, a Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Associate Professor in the School of Education (SOE), submitted a request for assistance from a Doctorate of Educational Leadership team at VCU. Dr. Becker was tasked with establishing a professional studies program that would offer non-credit bearing professional learning experiences to PK–12 educators. The VCU SOE wanted to learn how to design an accessible and relevant non-credit bearing program for PK–12 educators that maximized the value of the VCU SOE while generating revenue. To support the VCU SOE, the team conducted research using an exploratory sequential mixed methods model. The team gathered qualitative data from semi-structured interviews and then conducted a survey with educators to collect quantitative data. After data analysis, five distinct recommendations were provided to the VCU SOE, discussing themes such as building relationships, creating relevant professional learning experiences, and aligning internal resources.