View in EDS

A Metasynthesis of Professional Development School Scholarship: Lessons for Teacher Education

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: A Metasynthesis of Professional Development School Scholarship: Lessons for Teacher Education
Language: English
Authors: Catherine Compton-Lilly, Elizabeth Currin, Erica Gilbertson (ORCID 0000-0002-8211-8381), Randi Latzke, Amy Murphy
Source: School-University Partnerships. 2025 18(2):267-285.
Availability: Emerald Publishing Limited. Howard House, Wagon Lane, Bingley, West Yorkshire, BD16 1WA, UK. Tel: +44-1274-777700; Fax: +44-1274-785201; e-mail: emerald@emeraldinsight.com; Web site: http://www.emerald.com/insight
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 19
Publication Date: 2025
Document Type: Journal Articles
Information Analyses
Education Level: Higher Education
Postsecondary Education
Early Childhood Education
Elementary Education
Descriptors: Professional Development Schools, Educational Research, Preservice Teacher Education, Early Childhood Education, Elementary Education, Teacher Leadership, Cooperative Learning, Teacher Collaboration, Difficulty Level, School Effectiveness, Empowerment, Educational Opportunities, Trust (Psychology)
DOI: 10.1108/SUP-03-2025-0010
ISSN: 1935-7125
2833-2075
Abstract: Purpose: This metasynthesis of Professional Development Schools (PDS) scholarship focuses on research that examines PDS as an entity -- a systemic, multifaceted innovation that builds on and affects multiple dimensions of teaching and learning across educational contexts. Design/methodology/approach: We contextualize our work within scholarship that documents the challenges and affordances of PDS, discuss previous reviews of PDS scholarship and describe our methodological metasynthesis. Findings: Among our significant findings was the surprisingly small number of studies (n = 4) that focused on PDS as a layered entity. Other significant findings related to the lack of attention to cultural and linguistic diversity in comprehensive studies of PDS spaces and the methodological limits of much PDS research. We highlight the importance of circulating and boundary-spanning leadership, evolving collaboration and peer learning, challenges and benefits due to the complexity of PDS spaces and few efforts to directly measure PDS effectiveness. Research limitations/implications: With our focus on peer-reviewed research articles, we may have overlooked book-length reports, which may have contributed to our analysis. Further, the PDS spaces described in our sample were relatively new (i.e. operating for five years at most); more established sites deserve detailed researcher attention. Practical implications: We call for: (1) multidimensional analyses involving various PDS participants and varied data sources, (2) mixed-methods studies that merge quantitative measures with rich ethnographic data and (3) longitudinal approaches to explore PDS spaces over time to learn about the formation and sustenance of PDS spaces as well as threats to sustainability. Social implications: We advocate for: (1) teams of researchers using parallel methods to document activities within and across PDS spaces and (2) systemic attention to community voices and equity practices in PDS spaces. Originality/value: To counter the tendency for PDS scholarship to focus on logistics and implementation, we engaged in a metasynthesis of PDS research to explore PDS as an entity -- a systemic, multi-faceted innovation that builds on and affects multiple dimensions of teaching and learning. We found very few studies that met these criteria.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1493079
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
  Availability: 0
Header DbId: eric
DbLabel: ERIC
An: EJ1493079
AccessLevel: 3
PubType: Academic Journal
PubTypeId: academicJournal
PreciseRelevancyScore: 0
IllustrationInfo
Items – Name: Title
  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: A Metasynthesis of Professional Development School Scholarship: Lessons for Teacher Education
– Name: Language
  Label: Language
  Group: Lang
  Data: English
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Catherine+Compton-Lilly%22">Catherine Compton-Lilly</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Elizabeth+Currin%22">Elizabeth Currin</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Erica+Gilbertson%22">Erica Gilbertson</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8211-8381">0000-0002-8211-8381</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Randi+Latzke%22">Randi Latzke</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Amy+Murphy%22">Amy Murphy</searchLink>
– Name: TitleSource
  Label: Source
  Group: Src
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22School-University+Partnerships%22"><i>School-University Partnerships</i></searchLink>. 2025 18(2):267-285.
– Name: Avail
  Label: Availability
  Group: Avail
  Data: Emerald Publishing Limited. Howard House, Wagon Lane, Bingley, West Yorkshire, BD16 1WA, UK. Tel: +44-1274-777700; Fax: +44-1274-785201; e-mail: emerald@emeraldinsight.com; Web site: http://www.emerald.com/insight
– Name: PeerReviewed
  Label: Peer Reviewed
  Group: SrcInfo
  Data: Y
– Name: Pages
  Label: Page Count
  Group: Src
  Data: 19
– Name: DatePubCY
  Label: Publication Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2025
– Name: TypeDocument
  Label: Document Type
  Group: TypDoc
  Data: Journal Articles<br />Information Analyses
– Name: Audience
  Label: Education Level
  Group: Audnce
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Higher+Education%22">Higher Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Postsecondary+Education%22">Postsecondary Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Early+Childhood+Education%22">Early Childhood Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Elementary+Education%22">Elementary Education</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Descriptors
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Professional+Development+Schools%22">Professional Development Schools</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+Research%22">Educational Research</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Preservice+Teacher+Education%22">Preservice Teacher Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Early+Childhood+Education%22">Early Childhood Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Elementary+Education%22">Elementary Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Teacher+Leadership%22">Teacher Leadership</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Cooperative+Learning%22">Cooperative Learning</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Teacher+Collaboration%22">Teacher Collaboration</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Difficulty+Level%22">Difficulty Level</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22School+Effectiveness%22">School Effectiveness</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Empowerment%22">Empowerment</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+Opportunities%22">Educational Opportunities</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Trust+%28Psychology%29%22">Trust (Psychology)</searchLink>
– Name: DOI
  Label: DOI
  Group: ID
  Data: 10.1108/SUP-03-2025-0010
– Name: ISSN
  Label: ISSN
  Group: ISSN
  Data: 1935-7125<br />2833-2075
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Purpose: This metasynthesis of Professional Development Schools (PDS) scholarship focuses on research that examines PDS as an entity -- a systemic, multifaceted innovation that builds on and affects multiple dimensions of teaching and learning across educational contexts. Design/methodology/approach: We contextualize our work within scholarship that documents the challenges and affordances of PDS, discuss previous reviews of PDS scholarship and describe our methodological metasynthesis. Findings: Among our significant findings was the surprisingly small number of studies (n = 4) that focused on PDS as a layered entity. Other significant findings related to the lack of attention to cultural and linguistic diversity in comprehensive studies of PDS spaces and the methodological limits of much PDS research. We highlight the importance of circulating and boundary-spanning leadership, evolving collaboration and peer learning, challenges and benefits due to the complexity of PDS spaces and few efforts to directly measure PDS effectiveness. Research limitations/implications: With our focus on peer-reviewed research articles, we may have overlooked book-length reports, which may have contributed to our analysis. Further, the PDS spaces described in our sample were relatively new (i.e. operating for five years at most); more established sites deserve detailed researcher attention. Practical implications: We call for: (1) multidimensional analyses involving various PDS participants and varied data sources, (2) mixed-methods studies that merge quantitative measures with rich ethnographic data and (3) longitudinal approaches to explore PDS spaces over time to learn about the formation and sustenance of PDS spaces as well as threats to sustainability. Social implications: We advocate for: (1) teams of researchers using parallel methods to document activities within and across PDS spaces and (2) systemic attention to community voices and equity practices in PDS spaces. Originality/value: To counter the tendency for PDS scholarship to focus on logistics and implementation, we engaged in a metasynthesis of PDS research to explore PDS as an entity -- a systemic, multi-faceted innovation that builds on and affects multiple dimensions of teaching and learning. We found very few studies that met these criteria.
– Name: AbstractInfo
  Label: Abstractor
  Group: Ab
  Data: As Provided
– Name: DateEntry
  Label: Entry Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2026
– Name: AN
  Label: Accession Number
  Group: ID
  Data: EJ1493079
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=EJ1493079
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1108/SUP-03-2025-0010
    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 19
        StartPage: 267
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Professional Development Schools
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Educational Research
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Preservice Teacher Education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Early Childhood Education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Elementary Education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Teacher Leadership
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Cooperative Learning
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Teacher Collaboration
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Difficulty Level
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: School Effectiveness
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Empowerment
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Educational Opportunities
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Trust (Psychology)
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: A Metasynthesis of Professional Development School Scholarship: Lessons for Teacher Education
        Type: main
  BibRelationships:
    HasContributorRelationships:
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Catherine Compton-Lilly
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Elizabeth Currin
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Erica Gilbertson
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Randi Latzke
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Amy Murphy
    IsPartOfRelationships:
      – BibEntity:
          Dates:
            – D: 01
              M: 08
              Type: published
              Y: 2025
          Identifiers:
            – Type: issn-print
              Value: 1935-7125
            – Type: issn-electronic
              Value: 2833-2075
          Numbering:
            – Type: volume
              Value: 18
            – Type: issue
              Value: 2
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: School-University Partnerships
              Type: main
ResultId 1