Academic Innovation Conference 2024

The Empowering Teacher Learning team at Appalachian State University has implemented a research project designed to measure the effectiveness of Teacher-Directed Professional Learning (TDPL) as a form of professional development in contrast to the more traditional “one-size fits all” model. Teacher-Directed Professional Learning is a form of Self-Directed Learning where the teacher is the active participant in assessing their own needs, setting individual goals, seeking out opportunities for professional growth, and measuring their own progress (Artman et al., 2020; Bakhshi, 2019). In this project, teachers earn stipends and licensure renewal credits (or CEUs) by completing teacher-selected competency-based micro-credentials online. In this way, the teachers gain knowledge, skills and resources applicable to their individual areas of instruction and professional goals; thereby meeting the specific needs of the students in their classrooms.