The Application of Behavioral Economics to Teacher Professional Development

Abstract

Teacher professional development (PD) is among the most prominent levers used to improve teaching quality. The findings of research studies examining PD interventions are heterogeneous, with meta-analyses indicating mean positive impacts but also the existence of many ineffective programs. Educational Researcher has served as a critical platform for conversations on strengthening the research base on teacher PD. In this article, we argue that insights from behavioral economics have the potential to improve professional development research by pointing toward solutions that can strengthen the implementation of well-designed PD. We provide illustrative examples of how concepts from behavioral economics can inform our understanding of barriers to effective PD implementation and discuss behavioral-economics-based tools to mitigate these barriers. We conclude by discussing future applications and research directions.