What makes online professional development effective? The effect of quality characteristics on teachers’ satisfaction and changes in their professional practices

The number of online professional development (PD) activities for teachers has increased over the

past decade. While there is evidence on characteristics of effective face-to-face PD, little is known

about the quality of online PD activities. The present study investigates the quality of online PD

activities as perceived by teachers, and the association of PD quality with teachers’ satisfaction

and their changes in practice. The study is based on survey data from N = 387 teachers who

participated in a formal online PD activity. Our results indicate high levels of cognitive activation,

as well as high clarity and structure of the online PD activity, and moderate levels of collaboration

among participants in online PD. While all quality characteristics predict teachers’ satisfaction,

only cognitive activation and collaboration in online PD predict changes in teachers’ professional

practices.