How Transformational Professional Learning Drives Deeper Student Learning

By Kippy Smith and Erica Crane, EdD

TL;DR

• Transformational PD equips educators to model and foster deeper learning: When teachers engage in critical reflection and collaborative inquiry, they develop the very habits—like metacognition and agency—that help students thrive.

• Quality professional development, like transformational PD, is positively linked to shifts in teaching practice and to gains in student achievement.

• sideby and Small Wins Dashboard provide real-time, actionable insights: These tools help educators see how their evolving practices impact students—supporting continuous growth across the entire learning ecosystem.

Introduction

In the first two blogs about transformational professional learning, we explored why educators deserve transformational professional development and how such learning elevates educator agency, engagement, and instructional practice. Now, we turn to the most critical question: How does transformational educator learning translate into deeper student learning and stronger outcomes?

While it may seem intuitive that better teaching leads to better learning, the kind of professional learning educators engage in notably influences the quality of instruction students receive. Research consistently shows that transformational professional development (PD)—characterized by critical reflection, collaborative inquiry, and sustained engagement—is linked to improvements in student outcomes (Darling-Hammond et al., 2017; Desimone & Garet, 2015).

This research underscores our sideby team’s lived experience: we’ve noticed that the best teachers are always learning.  

Defining Deeper Student Learning

Understanding how educator learning influences student learning starts with defining the student outcomes we seek. At sideby, we believe student success is not just about test scores. It’s about equipping young people with traditional academic knowledge, and also other habits, skills, and dispositions they need to thrive in the real world.  EL Education calls this an “expanded definition of student achievement” (EL Education, n.d., para. 2).   Similarly, the Hewlett Foundation’s Deeper Learning Competencies define student outcomes as including critical thinking, communication, collaboration, academic mindset, and learning how to learn (The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, 2013) while The Deeper Learning Hub emphasizes applying critical thinking and learning to novel and complex opportunities (Deeper Learning, n.d.). Berger et al. (2016) lay out the indicators of deeper instruction centered around empowering, challenging, and engaging learners (p. 9). This is all connected to a liberatory approach to learning in general (Freire, 1970; hooks, 1994, 2010).

Interestingly, transformational professional learning activates many of these skills in educators. Perhaps it’s unsurprising, then, that research illuminates a relationship between transformational educator learning and deeper student learning outcomes: 

• Instructional Shifts That Deepen Student Learning. When teachers engage in extended, content-aligned, and reflective learning, they improve their ability to facilitate rigorous and relevant learning experiences. Darling-Hammond et al. (2017) conducted a rigorous review, and found that such PD models are linked to positive changes in teacher practice and to gains in student achievement.  

• Empowered Teachers, Empowered Learners. Biesta et al. (2015) found that teachers with greater agency—those who felt empowered to adapt their practice and act on their beliefs—created more participatory, student-centered classrooms. They write, “Teacher agency supports students’ development of agency, with teachers acting to invite or facilitate student voice and participation, including dialogue and inquiry as part of learning” (Biesta et al., 2015, p. 632). When educators experience transformative learning that enhances their own voice and leadership, they are more likely to empower student voice, encourage inquiry, and co-create learning experiences. This dynamic contributes to higher student engagement and ownership of learning.

• From Professional Reflection to Student Metacognition. When educators engage in structured reflection and other habits of learning themselves, they are likely to embed these habits into their classrooms. Both Cranton (2006) and Mezirow (1991) highlight metacognitive habits—such as reflection, critical questioning, and iterative meaning-making—as central to transformative learning.  Educators who engage in such learning “describe greater authenticity in their teaching and increased confidence in their ability to foster student learning” (Cranton, 2006, p. 68). According to the Deeper Learning framework, the ability to "learn how to learn" is foundational to lifelong success—and this competency is most effectively taught by educators who practice it themselves (Learning Policy Institute, n.d.).

Real-World Examples: Small Wins Dashboard & sideby 

At sideby, we are seeing this connection between educator learning and student learning play out through the transformational professional learning we provide. 

Tools like the Small Wins Dashboard help educators visualize the everyday effects of their efforts, and clearly see patterns of practice. This real-time, observational data is like looking in a mirror, because it deepens teachers' awareness of their own impact. 

Similarly, sideby’s strategic, peer-to-peer learning enables educators to engage in shared reflection, storytelling, and idea exchange– all of which contributes to the transformational learning “process of examining, questioning, validating and revising our perspectives” that Cranton describes (Cranton, 2006, p.23). 

Conclusion

When educators experience deep, transformational learning themselves, they are better equipped to create analogous learning environments for their students.  From reimagining instruction to building equitable relationships and cultivating learner agency, transformational PD has the power to drive the full spectrum of student outcomes: academic mastery, personal growth, and deeper learning.

We believe that investing in educator transformation is one of the most powerful levers for system-wide change. When we support educators to grow, reflect, and lead, we unleash the conditions for every student to thrive.

References

Berger, R., Woodfin, L., & Vilen, A. (2016). Learning that lasts: Challenging, engaging, and empowering students with deeper instruction. Jossey-Bass.

Biesta, G., Priestley, M., & Robinson, S. (2015). The role of beliefs in teacher agency. Teachers and Teaching, 21(6), 624–640. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13540602.2015.1044325

Cranton, P. (2006). Understanding and Promoting Transformative Learning. Jossey-Bass.

Darling-Hammond, L., Hyler, M. E., & Gardner, M. (2017). Effective Teacher Professional Development. Learning Policy Institute. https://learningpolicyinstitute.org/product/effective-teacher-professional-development-report

Deeper Learning. (n.d.). Engage in deeper learning. Retrieved August 15, 2025, from https://deeper-learning.org/

Desimone, L. M., & Garet, M. S. (2015). Best practices in teachers’ professional development in the United States. Educational Researcher, 44(3), 187–192. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/301225647_Best_Practices_in_Teachers'_Professional_Development_in_the_United_States

EL Education. (n.d.). Three dimensions of student achievement. EL Education. Retrieved August 6, 2025, from https://www.eleducation.org/who-we-are/three-dimensions-of-student-achievement/

Freire, P. (1970). Cultural action and conscientization. Harvard Education Review, 40(3), 452-477. https://www.proquest.com/docview/212259583/30C7D4B659524316PQ/3?sourcetype=Scholarly%20Journals

hooks, b. (1994). Teaching to transgress: Education as the practice of freedom. Routledge.

hooks, b. (2010). Teaching critical thinking: Practical wisdom. Routledge.

Learning Policy Institute. (n.d.). Deeper learning. https://learningpolicyinstitute.org/topic/deeper-learning

Mezirow, J. (1991). Transformative Dimensions of Adult Learning. Jossey-Bass.

The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. (2013, April). Deeper learning defined. Retrieved August 6, 2025, from https://hewlett.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Deeper_Learning_Defined__April_2013.pdf

Frequently Asked Questions - Transformational PD & Student Outcomes

What exactly is transformational professional development?
It’s educator learning that goes beyond compliance or technical training. It includes critical reflection, peer dialogue, and sustained application of new practices to support deep shifts in teaching and mindset. And educators deserve it.

How does transformational PD impact students?
Teachers who engage in transformational PD develop stronger instructional practices, model metacognitive habits, and create more equitable, student-centered learning environments.

 Is there research that backs up this connection?
Yes. Studies by Darling-Hammond et al. (2017) and Desimone & Garet (2015), among others, show that well-designed PD improves both teaching quality and student outcomes.

How do sideby and the Small Wins Dashboard support this approach?
sideby provides peer-driven, reflective learning journeys for educators, while the Small Wins Dashboard helps visualize practice shifts and track real-time evidence of student impact. Both of these platforms were built by and for educators. They align in their approach and the SWD is now a part of sideby officially.

What kind of student outcomes are we talking about?
Not just test scores—sideby aligns with broader outcomes like critical thinking, collaboration, academic mindset, and student agency, as defined by EL Education and the Hewlett Foundation.