New research identifies the barriers that school leaders need to address, including competing workplace demands, interruptions and a lack of protected time for professional development.
School leaders can influence how much teachers gain from professional development by creating the right conditions for participation and application, according to research from the Australian Education Research Organisation (AERO) and the Victorian Academy of Teaching and Leadership.
Teachers and school leaders reported similar levels of positive impact from online and onsite professional learning. In the Academy’s 2025 Impact Evaluation survey, 87 per cent of respondents undertaking online professional learning reported a positive impact on their practice, compared with 88 per cent of those undertaking onsite learning.
However, competing workplace demands and interruptions can make it difficult for teachers to engage fully. The research highlights the importance of protected time, supportive leadership and opportunities to learn with colleagues.
The October 2026 research summary, Professional learning research insights: Considerations for online professional learning, combines findings from AERO’s research with the Academy’s evaluation survey to examine what supports or limits educators’ participation and engagement.
Leadership and time are critical
The research identifies leadership support and alignment with school improvement priorities as important factors in successful online professional learning.
Practical measures include scheduling dedicated time for staff to complete learning, following up through formal or informal check-ins, maintaining visible leadership support and connecting professional development to the school’s priorities.
Without these arrangements, teachers can struggle to engage fully with learning while managing their existing responsibilities.
In the Academy’s survey module about online professional learning, 66 per cent of respondents preferred to undertake it during teaching or work hours. However, 35 per cent identified competing workplace demands as a barrier to participation, while 24 per cent cited workplace interruptions during online delivery. The survey module included 521 respondents.
The findings highlight a practical challenge for school leaders: offering flexible learning does not necessarily mean staff have the time or working conditions to benefit from it. AERO’s study also found that access to relief staff could make it difficult for teachers, particularly in small or remote schools, to participate during work hours.
Collaboration helps turn learning into practice
Online delivery can improve access, flexibility and affordability, particularly for educators managing competing responsibilities. However, the research found that opportunities to learn alongside colleagues, discuss ideas and reflect on content can strengthen engagement and help teachers apply new knowledge in their own settings.
Teachers in AERO’s study valued opportunities to complete professional learning with colleagues, clarify concepts, share insights and consider how new approaches could work in their schools. Discussing ideas also helped teachers test their thinking, exchange feedback and translate online content into classroom practice.
The research found that content was more engaging when it was relevant to teachers’ professional needs and existing classroom practices. Examples reflecting the realities of their school contexts helped educators see how learning could be applied, while content disconnected from those contexts reduced engagement.
Flexible course design was another factor. Participants valued learning delivered in smaller modules, the ability to skip content they had already mastered and opportunities to revisit material when needed. An easy-to-navigate online platform also supported engagement.
For school leaders, the findings suggest that selecting a suitable online course is only one part of the process. Staff also need opportunities to discuss what they have learnt and consider how to apply it in practice.
Online or onsite is not the only decision
Despite positive experiences with online professional learning, many educators continue to prefer onsite or blended delivery.
The Academy’s survey found that the proportion of school leaders who preferred fully online professional learning rose from 19 per cent in 2023 to 23 per cent in 2025, with the figure reaching 22 per cent in 2024.
Satisfaction and reported impact on practice were similar across online and onsite formats. In the 2025 survey, 89 per cent of respondents reported being satisfied or very satisfied with professional learning in both formats. These figures reflect participants’ reported experiences rather than a direct experimental comparison of outcomes.
The research draws on interviews with 19 teachers and seven school leaders involved in AERO’s pilot study, alongside administrative data from a larger study involving more than 60 schools and 430 teachers across Australia. The larger study examined online professional learning delivered mainly through asynchronous sessions, with optional live sessions.
Separately, the Academy’s overall 2025 Impact Survey gathered 4,713 responses evaluating the effectiveness and impact of professional learning across 385 intakes.
AERO and the Academy will continue to examine the impact of online professional learning on teacher practice and the factors contributing to positive experiences and outcomes. Full findings from AERO’s study are expected in 2027.
For school leaders planning professional learning, the message is not simply to choose online or onsite delivery. It is to ensure staff have protected time, supportive leadership, opportunities to collaborate and learning that connects directly with their work.
Source: Australian Education Research Organisation, Professional learning research insights: Considerations for online professional learning.