Investigating the impact of different mathematics professional learning models

The challenge

In order to better understand the long-term effects of professional development on mathematics teaching practices, this project will investigate what educators retain and continue to use from different PD models two to five years after their participation. Prior studies, including the NSF-funded TaDD 1.0 project, have shown variability in how teachers adopt content, pedagogy, and tools from different PD models. This lack of clarity is particularly evident in adaptive professional development formats, such as lesson study and professional learning communities, which are commonly used in U.S. education but have not been well studied in terms of what teachers retain and apply years after participating. This creates a gap in ensuring that PD investments lead to sustained, meaningful improvements in instruction.

Despite increased investments in PD, many models do not track or support teachers beyond initial workshops, limiting the ability to understand how PD translates into long-term practice. Furthermore, adaptive models’ effectiveness remains underexplored, although they are widely implemented. The challenge is to generate evidence that not only assesses what content and strategies teachers continue to use but also why they persist, or don’t persist, over time. Addressing this gap is essential for informing better PD design and enhancing instructional practices, particularly for culturally and linguistically diverse and underrepresented student populations.

The approach

Taking a Deep Dive (TaDD 2.0): Investigating the impact of different STEM professional learning models on what teachers take up and use in their classrooms is an NSF-funded project that is led by Karen Koellner as principal investigator. Koellner is a professor with Arizona State University's Mary Lou Fulton College for Teaching and Learning Innovation. Co-principal investigators are Nanette Seago, WestEd senior research manager in mathematics education; Sarah Warner, also with WestEd; and Nicora Placa, an assistant professor in mathematics education with Hunter College-CUNY. 

The project builds upon TaDD 1.0 and expands its scope by examining six diverse, mostly adaptive PD models that were previously NSF-funded. These models aim to improve mathematics teaching through various approaches, structures, and focal points. The central goal is to identify what teachers continue to use two to five years after their PD experiences and how different features of the PD, such as collaborative norms, supportive communities, and material design, affect that use. Using a mixed-method, multi-case study approach, the research team will follow 36 case study teachers (six from each PD project). Data collection will include interviews, classroom observations, and document analysis to explore:

• The specific content and pedagogy teachers retained.
• Influences that shaped continued usage.
• Key PD design features that supported sustained learning.
• Differences in impact between specified and adaptive PD models.

This cross-case analysis will allow the research team to examine both individual and systemic influences. Importantly, the study will generate detailed recommendations for designing effective PD that sustains teacher learning. Additionally, the project aims to contribute to theoretical frameworks for understanding teacher learning over time, with a particular focus on supporting equity in diverse educational contexts.

ASU students involved in the project include: Kiley Pooler, a graduate teaching associate; Olivia Bruner, also a graduate teaching associated; and Lake Nelson, a research aide.