Total spending on US PreK-12 professional development in the 2022-2023  school year was $5.99 billion, up 2.9% from $5.76 billion in the previous year while the global market for corporate learning and development is forecast to grow from $3.45 billion in 2021 to $493.32 billion in 2028 with a CAGR of 8.9%. These are two of the highlights of SIMBA’s just released report Professional Learning 2023.

What this Report Covers

In addition to identifying the size and forecast of professional development (or “learning and development”) for both the educational and corporate workforce sectors, the report also examines the competitive landscape, key forces driving the market, technological changes, new modes of instruction, format and delivery, and the expressed needs of teachers, principals and administrators for the education sector, and workers and HR departments for the corporate sector.

Key Findings

Key findings surfaced in this report include, for the education sector, increased activity among districts and schools to develop their own professional development, a desire for personalized and active learning, and more content and training on leadership, social and emotional learning (SEL), diversity, and special education. For the corporate workforce, the report reveals the impact of an anticipated a structural labor market churn of 23% of jobs in the next five years, or a growth of 69 million jobs and a decline of 83 million jobs on vendors and suppliers of L&D products. There is forecast to be a continuing and increased need for IT skills, including cloud computing, cybersecurity and generative AI, among others.

Key Trends Discussed

Several significant trends and developments are explored and analyzed in the report. For those serving the education market, the report looks at the move towards online and hybrid learning, the importance of active learning, and the impact of larger trends such as teacher shortages and burnout and the ongoing interest in microlearning. For the corporate sector, the report examines and analyzes trends such as the role of HR-including its training selection decisions, budget expenditures and training forecasts, use of generative AI in training, the desire by workers to learn the technology, including those in HR to identify skills gaps in their organization.

Professional Learning vs. Professional Development

Educators have increasingly turned to a more continuous, teacher-led, job-embedded, and results-oriented process that research has been demonstrated to be more effective. As a result, the term professional learning is preferred by many educators. In practice, however, the two terms are often used interchangeably. That said, the idea of professional learning as a collaborative, data-driven, intensive, and individualized process – one that focuses on competency and results rather than the hours invested – instead of a series of activities has influenced many of the trends therein over the past several years.

According to the Institute of Education Sciences (Washington D.C.) – the statistics, research, and evaluation arm of the US Department of Education – traditional “professional development” and professional learning can be distinguished by the intention to result in system-wide changes in student outcomes. Professional development is inclined towards the skill advancement of teachers; often associated with one-time workshops, seminars, or lectures; and typically a one-size-fits-all approach. Professional learning is designed to be interactive, sustained, and customized to teachers' needs, thereby encouraging them to take responsibility for self-learning and practice those lessons in their own teaching context. Professional learning aids facilitate teaching and student outcomes, and they are effective in recruiting and retaining teachers. High-quality professional learning is active; collaborative; and aligns with school goals, standards, and assessments (among other professional activities).

This report focuses on professional development and professional learning resources, covering both in-person and digital courses; tools; services; books; online information and platforms; and other resources that address classroom management, pedagogy, and instruction. While some of these count toward requirements for recertification, licensure, and/or pay levels, they primarily exist to help educators be more effective in the classroom and improve student achievement. The discussion in this report excludes formal courses at colleges and universities in pursuit of an advanced degree.

Continuous professional development is needed for educators to grow and improve. However, there is a strong belief that the idea of professional development is somewhat outdated; consequently, many school districts are implementing systems of professional learning that include very different ideas behind the teaching strategies involved. This switch from professional development to professional learning is part of a broader educational focus on creating fully blended classrooms where students learn from traditional teaching strategies and the introduction of technology. Professional learning gives educators the opportunity to better prepare for such classrooms, and it mirrors active learning methods that also benefit students.