PD Research

Anjanette McNeely teaches a reading block with her kindergarten students at Windridge Elementary School in Kaysville, Utah, on Dec. 4, 2025.
Anjanette McNeely teaches a reading block with her kindergarten students at Windridge Elementary School in Kaysville, Utah, on Dec. 4, 2025. New research shows significant shifts in how teachers are teaching reading, as well as the materials and PD they receive, but some still use older methods.
Niki Chan Wylie for Education Week
Reading & Literacy How the Science of Reading Is Reshaping Teaching: What the Data Say
A nationally representative survey shows how reading curriculum, PD, and teacher practice have shifted.
Sarah Schwartz, April 29, 2026
9 min read
Westwood High School English teacher Jeff Hall, top center, monitors his class, Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2022 in Mesa, Ariz. Like many school districts across the country, Mesa has a teacher shortage due in part due to low morale and declining interest in the profession. Five years ago, Mesa allowed Westwood to pilot a program to make it easier for the district to fill staffing gaps, grant educators greater agency over their work and make teaching a more attractive career. The model, known as team teaching, allows teachers to combine classes and grades rotating between big group instruction, one-on-one interventions, small study groups or whatever the team agrees is a priority each day.
At Westwood High School, shown here on Oct. 18, 2022 in Mesa, Ariz., teachers combine classes and grades rotating between big group instruction, one-on-one interventions, and small study groups. Teachers find collaborative teaching models generally more useful than other PD models like seminars.
Matt York/AP
Professional Development Teachers Like It. Research Is Promising. Is This the Solution to Teacher PD?
A GAO report finds that teachers like collaborative teaching—and it has some preliminary research support too.
Sarah D. Sparks, April 3, 2026
4 min read
Master teacher Krysta McGrew, center, leads a 5K cluster meeting at Ford Elementary School in Laurens, S.C., on March 10, 2025.
Master teacher Krysta McGrew, center, leads a professional development session at Ford Elementary School in Laurens, S.C., on March 10, 2025.
Bryant Kirk White for Education Week
Professional Development How Do Teachers Learn Best? Here's What They Say
Teachers are required to do professional development, but too often it falls short of their needs.
Elizabeth Heubeck, October 14, 2025
5 min read
A black female teacher cheerfully answers questions and provides assistance to her curious and diverse group of adolescent students as they work on an assignment in class.
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Teaching Profession What the Research Says Want Novices to Keep Teaching? Focus on Their Classroom-Management Skills
Some skills matter more than others for educator at the start of their careers.
Sarah D. Sparks, January 22, 2025
3 min read
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Artificial Intelligence Teachers Ask Better Questions With Feedback That’s Frequent, Personal, and AI-Generated, Study Shows
The feedback can improve teaching practices, but also raises concerns around privacy and scrutiny.
Olina Banerji, December 8, 2023
4 min read
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Artificial Intelligence From Our Research Center What AI Training Do Teachers Need Most? Here's What They Say
Nearly half of educators are uncomfortable with the AI technologies they've encountered.
Lauraine Langreo, September 20, 2023
1 min read
Image shows a silhouette of a person learning, and the components to make that work is represented by gears.
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Professional Development Explainer Teacher Professional Development, Explained
What counts as PD? And is it effective? EdWeek breaks down current trends—and new research—in this explainer.
Sarah Schwartz, July 26, 2023
9 min read
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Professional Development Personalizing Teacher PD Is Hard. Can Alexa and Siri Help?
Smart speakers may help districts offer personalized professional development that teachers can access almost anywhere, researchers say.
Alyson Klein, June 26, 2023
2 min read
A Black businesswoman gestures as she talks with a group of colleagues during a virtual meeting.
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Professional Development Can Classroom Simulators Help Teachers Improve Instruction?
Two researchers are studying how the simulators give teachers opportunities to try new approaches and learn from mistakes.
Arianna Prothero, June 26, 2023
3 min read
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Professional Development Where Teachers Say Professional Development Falls Short
Most teachers surveyed said they didn't get much expert advice on meeting the needs of English learners and students with disabilities.
Sarah Schwartz, June 21, 2023
3 min read
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Artificial Intelligence AI Can Coach Teachers. Here's How It Works
Feedback from an artificial intelligence tool helped teachers in a college class improve their practice, a new study shows.
Sarah Schwartz, June 14, 2023
4 min read
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Professional Development Opinion Is Turnkey Training for Educators Really Effective?
Just because teachers attend a one-day session doesn't necessarily mean they can turn around and train others.
Peter DeWitt, April 11, 2023
6 min read
Hand of a trainer addressing group of females sitting in a conference hall.
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Professional Development Irrelevant, Too Conceptual, Boring: Social-Emotional Learning PD Often Falls Flat
Insufficient professional development is a major challenge to teaching social-emotional learning effectively.
Arianna Prothero, December 7, 2022
4 min read
Young Black girl giving her teacher a high five in a classroom.
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Professional Development What Works—and What Doesn't—in Teacher PD
PD frequently misses the mark. But researchers have learned how to make it count for teachers—and some of their tips are low cost.
Madeline Will, October 25, 2022
7 min read