Professional Development Enacted by Facilitators in the Context of Early Mathematics Education: Scaling up or Dilution of Effects?

Abstract

Scaling up teacher professional development (TPD) struggles with spreading TPD while considering individual contexts. The presented study examines connecting these aims by using a cascade approach and taking a perspective on scaling up that acknowledges the need for adaptations by local facilitators. Teachers' learning gains in a TPD course enacted by facilitators (group B) are compared to those in the same TPD course enacted by the program developers (group A). Results indicate that teachers in group B achieved comparable learning gains regarding mathematical pedagogical content knowledge and beliefs as teachers in group A. Implications for scaling up TPD are discussed.