A Holistic Examination of How Professional Learning and Curriculum Relate to Ambitious and Culturally Relevant Instruction and Student Engagement
Date
2025-01-06
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
AERA Open
Abstract
To shape professional learning (PL) and curriculum interventions for successfully transforming instruction, we need to better understand how multiple aspects of the system work. Applying structural equation modeling with a sample of 437 teachers in 153 middle and high schools in 11 districts serving 50% or more Black or Latinx students, we found that teachers are significantly more likely to use ambitious and culturally responsive (CR) instruction in the classroom and that student engagement increases when PL and curriculum adoption are (1) targeted toward ambitious and CR instruction, (2) provide clear, specific directions to teachers, (3) are aligned with each other, (4) are supported by teachers, and (5) are accompanied by incentives. PL worked through fostering stronger beliefs in and confidence using CR instruction. The curriculum and PL had both independent and interactive effects on bolstering the use of ambitious and CR instruction.
Description
This article was originally published in AERA Open. The version of record is available at: https://doi.org/10.1177/23328584241310429.
© The Author(s) 2025. https://journals.sagepub.com/home/ero. Article reuse guidelines: sagepub.com/journals-permissions.
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Keywords
curriculum, educational reform, professional development, instructional practices, educational policy, school/ teacher effectiveness, structural equation modeling, survey research
Citation
Desimone, L. M., Bell, N., Lentz, A., Hill, K. L., & Marianno, L. (2025). A Holistic Examination of How Professional Learning and Curriculum Relate to Ambitious and Culturally Relevant Instruction and Student Engagement. AERA Open, 11. https://doi.org/10.1177/23328584241310429