Effective Teacher Professional Development and Its Influencing Factors: A Cross-National Comparison of the United States, China, Finland, and Singapore.

This article examines factors influencing Effective Teacher Professional Development (ETPD) at both teacher and school levels across four countries—China, the United States, Finland, and Singapore—using data from the Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) 2018. The study found that social utility motivation to teach (altruistic motivation), teacher self-efficacy in student engagement, and a participatory school climate were consistently and positively associated with ETPD in all four countries. Other factors such as gender, education level, teaching experience, personal utility motivation, self-efficacy in classroom management, and teacher–student relations showed significant but varied effects depending on the country's cultural and educational context. The findings suggest that fostering teacher motivation, enhancing self-efficacy, and promoting democratic, supportive school environments are important for advancing effective professional development globally.