Approaches to professional development that combine coaching or mentoring with new knowledge and opportunities for reflection on practice may be the most effective in improving outcomes in early childhood settings, according to a study published in Review of Education.
Sue Rogers and colleagues conducted the systematic review, which was funded by the Nuffield Foundation, in order to examine the impact of professional learning and development. The studies included in the review identify approaches to professional learning that demonstrate impact on early childhood education on one or more outcomes across three main areas: literacy knowledge and skills, math and science knowledge, and social-emotional and behavioral development.
The findings from the review suggested that:
- Coaching models, and approaches that help develop pedagogical knowledge, may be the most effective in improving outcomes in early childhood settings.
- The evidence on duration, frequency, and intensity of the professional learning, although likely to be important factors, was inconclusive.
Source (Open Access): Rogers, S., Brown, C., & Poblete, X. (2020). A systematic review of the evidence base for professional learning in early years education (The PLEYE Review). Review of Education, 8(1), 156–188.