Teacher learning and professional development in innovative higher education: a literature review

Innovations in higher education are initiated to improve the quality of teaching and student learning. These innovations often require teachers to learn new roles and skills. To support teachers in acquiring expertise for these roles and skills, professional development and learning initiatives are needed. This paper reviews the literature about teacher learning and professional development of HE teachers in the context of educational innovations, to provide an overview of the different ways these are utilised in this specific context and to identify characteristics and best practices. Ultimately, this will result in a framework for teacher PD in HE. Seventy articles, representing over twenty different innovations, were included in the review. Information about innovations, PD, learning activities, and outcomes were coded and analysed. Results showed a variety of PD and learning activities, resulting in positive teacher outcomes. Important gaps in knowledge, like the lack of student outcomes, were also identified.