IMPACT OF TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ON TEACHERS’ INSTRUCTIONAL EFFECTIVENESS AND STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AT UNIVERSITY LEVEL

Abstract

Teacher Professional Development (TPD) has emerged as a cornerstone for improving instructional effectiveness and enhancing student academic achievement, particularly at the university level. The objectives of the study were to examine the relationship between teacher professional development and teachers’ instructional effectiveness, to investigate how professional development influences students’ academic achievement, and to analyze combine effect of teachers’ professional development on instructional effectiveness and student achievement. The present study employed a quantitative research design using a survey method. The population of the study comprised all universities in Lahore. A multistage sampling technique was adopted. A structured questionnaire was developed as the main research instrument. To ensure content validity, the questionnaire was reviewed by a panel of education experts and university professors, who evaluated the items for clarity, relevance, and alignment with the study objectives. The reliability of the questionnaire was measured using Cronbach’s Alpha, with results exceeding the acceptable threshold of 0.70 for all subscales, confirming internal consistency of the instrument. The collected data were coded and analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). Both descriptive and inferential statistics were applied. Empirical results demonstrated significant positive correlations between PD and instructional strategies (r = .674, p < .01) as well as PD and student performance (r = .652, p < .01). Regression analyses confirmed that PD significantly predicts instructional strategies (R² = .235) and student performance (R² = .193), with stronger effects on teaching practices than direct student outcomes. It concludes that investing in teacher professional learning is essential for raising teaching quality and sustaining academic excellence in higher education, while also highlighting the need for supportive institutional frameworks to maximize its impact.

Keywords: Teacher Professional Development, instructional effectiveness, student achievement, university level.