Impact of in-service Master of Education programmes on teachers and their working environment

In these uncertain times, politicians and society have been voicing
high expectations from teacher education asking for evidence of
added value and impact on the student. In this study a longitudinal
mixed-methods approach was used to determine the
impact of in-service Master of Education programmes on teachers
(N = 1,917) and their work environment in the Netherlands. The
results of online surveys were explained by means of realist evaluation
using focus-group and in-depth interviews. The study
shows that Master of Education programmes had an impact on
professional and pedagogical skills of teachers, and in some cases
also on their work environment. A two-tier mechanism is proposed:
the Master’s programmes provide teachers with more indepth
knowledge about teaching and learning and a more critical
stance through inquiry and research. Consequently, some teachers
contribute to a culture of inquiry in their schools, provided that
the schools facilitate them in new roles.