An emerging approach to measuring the impact of professional learning on student outcomes

Marcia Devlin
Victorian Academy of Teaching and Leadership, Australia and Macquarie University, Australia
Peter Saffin
Victorian Academy of Teaching and Leadership, Australia

High quality, evidence-based professional learning for schoolteachers and school leaders is recognised globally as an essential component of effective school systems. In Australia, governments invest significantly in professional learning. Savage and McLean Davies (2023) noted that one of major reasons why professional learning for school educators is worth government investment is that professional learning strengthens the quality of teaching and improves student learning. Determining whether professional learning has impacted student outcomes - and if so, how, and to what extent - is extremely complex and challenging. Our paper outlines some of the major challenges in measuring the impact of professional learning on student outcomes and outlines an emerging approach for effectively dealing with these challenges in practice, using the Victorian Academy of Teaching and Leadership as a case study.
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Authors: Professor Marcia Devlin AM, PhD, MEd, GradDipAppldPsych, DipEd, BA is the CEO of the Victorian Academy of Teaching and Leadership [https://www.academy.vic.gov.au/]. Dr Devlin is an Honorary Professor at Macquarie University, an Adjunct Professor at Victoria University and a Lifelong Fellow of the Society for Research in Higher Education. She received an Order of Australia for significant services to higher education. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6311-9103 Email: mttdevlin@gmail.com Mr Peter Saffin BEd, GD Env. Sci, GAICD, CAE is currently COO at the Victorian Academy of Teaching and Leadership [https://www.academy.vic.gov.au/]. With a Bachelor of Education, Peter has been a teacher and school leader, Managing Director of Macmillan Education Australia, CEO of the Mathematical Association of Victoria (MAV), and is a MAV Honorary Life Member for his contribution to mathematics education. Email: peter.saffin@education.vic.gov.au Please cite as: Devlin, M. & Saffin, P. (2025). An emerging approach to measuring the impact of professional learning on student outcomes. Issues in Educational Research, 35(3), 947-969. http://www.iier.org.au/iier35/devlin.pdf