The impact of online professional development on the instructional practices of K--12 mathematics teachers

This study examined the impact of online professional development (OPD) on the instructional practices of K-12 mathematics teachers. It also examined the variables associated with the study to determine which variable best predicted whether teachers will integrate the OPD content knowledge into their instruction.;The study implemented a mixed methodology design that included quantitative and qualitative instruments. A pilot study was conducted to ensure valid results. The population consisted of 65 K-12 mathematics teachers who had prior OPD training. The researcher utilized a questionnaire and individual interviews for collecting data. Descriptive statistics were utilized to analyze the demographic information about the participants. Pearson and Spearman Correlations, multiple linear regressions, and a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) were utilized to analyze the data retrieved from the questionnaire responses. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) was used for statistical analysis.;The findings revealed that technology integration was the best predictor of whether participants would transfer the OPD content knowledge into their instructional practices. It also revealed the variance of teacher attitudes toward and beliefs about OPD, teachers' perceived benefits of participating in OPD, and the level of technology integration into instructional practices explained 52.9% of the variance of the transfer of the OPD content knowledge. With respect to the hypotheses, there was no significant difference among teachers possessing elementary, middle, and high school certification with respect to the three predictor variables.;Implications for further research may address a) examining potential barriers impacting the transfer of OPD content knowledge, b) evaluating the OPD content knowledge that has been integrating into instruction, and c) examining the impact of student perceptions and self-efficacy, and the impact of technology support on the transfer of OPD content knowledge.