SCALING BLENDED APPROACHES IN TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: A MODEL FOR EMPOWERING TEACHERS IN UNDER-RESOURCED CONTEXTS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18173/2354-1075.2025-0092Keywords:
blended approaches, teacher professional development (TPD), scale, education innovationAbstract
Blended approaches, which typically combine technology-enhanced learning with in-person professional development, have gained traction in teacher professional development (TPD) as a scalable approach to improving teaching quality, particularly in under-resourced contexts. However, despite its promise, there remains a lack of integrated frameworks specifically designed to guide the sustainable and context-sensitive scaling of blended TPD. This paper proposes the SCALE-BTPD model which synthesizes key insights from existing scalability models and blended learning literature. The model consists of three interdependent layers: Enabling Conditions, Blended Learning Pathways, and an Iterative Scaling Mechanism. SCALE-BTPD reframes scale as a dynamic, equity-centered process rooted in local realities and teacher agency. It suggests practical guidance for policymakers, education leaders, and implementers seeking to design and scale blended TPD systems that are responsive, inclusive, and oriented toward long-term institutional change.
Downloads
References
[1] Graham CR, Allen S & Ure D, (2005). Benefits and challenges of blended learning environments. Encyclopedia of Information Science and Technology (First Edition). IGI Global, p. 253-259.
[2] Leake S, (2014). A Blended and Face-to-Face Comparison of Teacher Professional Development: What’s the Impact?. Arizona State University.
[3] Goos M, O’Donoghue J, Ní Ríordáin M, Faulkner F, Hall T & O’Meara N, (2020). Designing a national blended learning program for “out-of-field” mathematics teacher professional development. ZDM, 52, 893-905.
[4] Fishman B, Penuel WR, Hegedus S & Roschelle J, (2011). What happens when the research ends? Factors related to the sustainability of a technology-infused mathematics curriculum. Journal of Computers in Mathematics and Science Teaching, 30, 329-353.
[5] Wolfenden F, (2022). TPD@Scale: Designing teacher professional development with ICTs to support system-wide improvement in teaching. Foundation for Information Technology Education and Development.
[6] Dobbs CL, Ippolito J & Charner-Laird M, (2017). Scaling up professional learning: technical expectations and adaptive challenges. Professional Development in Education, 43, 729-748. https://doi.org/10.1080/19415257.2016.1238834.
[7] Sun M, Penuel WR, Frank KA, Gallagher HA & Youngs P, (2013). Shaping Professional Development to Promote the Diffusion of Instructional Expertise Among Teachers. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 35, 344-369. https://doi.org/10.3102/0162373713482763.
[8] Hennessy S, D’Angelo S, McIntyre N, Koomar S, Kreimeia A, Cao L, et al., (2022). Technology Use for Teacher Professional Development in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A systematic review. Computers and Education Open, 3, 100080. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeo.2022.100080.
[9] Burns M, (2023). Technology in education. Paper Commissioned for The 2023.
[10] Chabbott C, (2015). Institutionalizing health and education for all: Global goals, innovations, and scaling up. Teachers College Press.
[11] Coburn CE, (2003). Rethinking Scale: Moving Beyond Numbers to Deep and Lasting Change. Educational Researcher, 32, 3-12. https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X032006003.
[12] Lawson HA & Van Veen D, (2016). Planning for Scale-Up, Scale-Out, Sustainability, Continuous Improvement, and Accountability. In: Lawson HA & Van Veen D (eds.), Developing Community Schools, Community Learning Centers, Extended-service Schools and Multi-service Schools, p. 363-405. Springer International Publishing, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-25664-1_14.
[13] Clements DH, Sarama J, Wolfe CB & Spitler ME, (2015). Sustainability of a Scale-Up Intervention in Early Mathematics: A Longitudinal Evaluation of Implementation Fidelity. Early Education and Development, 26, 427-449. https://doi.org/10.1080/10409289.2015.968242.
[14] Timperley H, (2011). Realizing the power of professional learning. McGraw-Hill Education (UK).
[15] Cohen-Vogel L, Tichnor-Wagner A, Allen D, Harrison C, Kainz K, Socol AR, et al., (2015). Implementing Educational Innovations at Scale: Transforming Researchers Into Continuous Improvement Scientists. Educational Policy, 29, 257-277. https://doi.org/10.1177/0895904814560886.
[16] Scheirer MA & Dearing JW, (2011). An Agenda for Research on the Sustainability of Public Health Programs. Am J Public Health, 101, 2059-2067. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2011.300193.
[17] Alammary A, Sheard J & Carbone A, (2014). Blended learning in higher education: Three different design approaches. AJET, 30. https://doi.org/10.14742/ajet.693.
[18] Allen IE & Seaman J, (2014). Grade change: Tracking online education in the United States.
[19] Keengwe J & Kang JJ, (2013). A review of empirical research on blended learning in teacher education programs. Education and Information Technologies, 18, 479-493. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-011-9182-8.
[20] Calderón A, Scanlon D, MacPhail A & Moody B, (2021). An integrated blended learning approach for physical education teacher education programmes: teacher educators’ and pre-service teachers’ experiences. Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy, 26, 562-577. https://doi.org/10.1080/17408989.2020.1823961.
[21] Graham CR, (2013). Emerging Practice and Research in Blended Learning. Handbook of Distance Education. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203803738.ch21.
[22] Arifani Y, Khaja FNM, Suryanti S & Wardhono A, (2019). The Influence of Blended In-service Teacher Professional Training on EFL Teacher Creativity and Teaching Effectiveness. 3L: Southeast Asian Journal of English Language Studies, 25.
[23] Hernandez LL, (2022). A Blended Approach to Teacher Professional Development. PhD Thesis, Arizona State University.
[24] Uribe-Banda C, Wood E, Gottardo A, Biddle J, Ghaa C, Iminza R, et al., (2023). Assessing blended and online-only delivery formats for teacher professional development in Kenya. Cogent Education, 10, 2191414.
[25] VVOB, (2023). BLEND-ON: A guide on how to blend in-person & remote learning for professional development of educators.
[26] TPD@Scale Coalition for the Global South, (2022). TPDScale-Compendium. Foundation for Information Technology Education and Development.
[27] Mintii IS, (2023). Blended learning: definition, concept, and relevance. Educ Dimens, 8, 85-111. https://doi.org/10.31812/ed.539.
[28] Graham CR, (2006). Blended learning systems: Definition, current trends, and future directions. The Handbook of Blended Learning: Global Perspectives. Pfeiffer, San Francisco.
[29] Dede C, (2006). Scaling up: Evolving innovations beyond ideal settings to challenging contexts of practice. Na.
[30] McLean R & Gargani J, (2019). Scaling impact: innovation for the public good. Routledge.
[31] World Bank, (2013). What Matters Most for Teacher Policies: A Framework Paper. DC.
[32] VVOB Vietnam, (2023). A study on blended Continuous Professional Development (CPD) approaches in pre-service and in-service primary teacher education in Vietnam.
