Studies of faculty development efforts at a liberal arts college and WSU suggest the programs can have an impact on student outcomes.

Intuitively, it makes sense that professors who spend time developing their teaching skills will become more effective instructors — and that that will eventually translate to better student outcomes. Practically speaking, though, the challenges of (and the variables involved in) tracing the effects of professional development on student learning are myriad. That’s probably why the research on the matter is patchy, relying largely on self-reported measures. » More …