Introduction
In recent years, blended learning has established itself worldwide as a central format for professional development, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic (Tonbuloğlu & Tonbuloğlu, 2023). In view of the shortage of skilled workers, online training for early childhood education professionals offers a high degree of flexibility in terms of time and location as well as opportunities for individualised learning (Buschle & König, 2018). In addition, digital formats support the compatibility of work and private life, reduce costs by eliminating travel times and facilitate broader participation and access to lecturers regardless of location (Scheidig, 2022).
Research on blended learning in general - not specifically in the field of early childhood education and care - shows that online learning can be just as effective as face-to-face formats (Askov et al, 2003; Doo et al, 2020; Drummond, 2011; Naidu, 2020; Salmon et al, 2015). Self-regulated learners, i.e. people with high motivation, clear objectives and good time management skills, benefit in particular (Doo et al., 2020).
Goals
The aim of our review and meta-analysis is to investigate the effectiveness of in-service blended-learning professional development programmes for early childhood educators. We focus exclusively on blended learning formats of in-service training for ECEC professionals and specify previous reviews and meta-analyses of in-service training by including more recent literature with methodologically sound studies and control conditions.
Questions
To what extent does blended-learning in-service professional development or ECEC teachers enhance teaching practices?
To what extent does blended-learning in-service professional development or ECEC teachers enhance child outcomes?
How are the effects of blended-learning in-service professional development on teaching practices related to child outcomes?
What are significant effect modifiers with regards to (a) the methodological study quality, (b) ECEC setting or (c) professional development features?
We assume that effect sizes are moderated by (a) the methodological quality of the experimental studies, (b) ECEC setting or (c) professional development features. A systematic search of literature based on the PICO model will be accomplished and sophisticated statistical methods applied to aggregate effect sizes. Based on results, implications for practice and further research will be formulated.
Methods
A standardised procedure for systematic literature research is used for the study. The relevant studies are identified via electronic databases and snowball searches and selected in a double-coding process using defined criteria and criteria schemes.
Statistical parameters are extracted from the included publications and effect sizes are calculated using the software Comprehensive Meta-Analysis (CMA; Bornstein et al., 2022) software. Hypotheses were tested using moderator analyses and meta-regressions.
Further methodological details can be found in Egert, Løkken & Pölzl-Stefanec (2025), https://osf.io/ydw73
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Naidu, S. (2020). The MOOC is dead—long live MOOC 2.0! Distance Education, 41(1), 1–5. doi.org/10.1080/01587919.2020.1727289
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Tonbuloğlu, B., Tonbuloğlu, İ. (2023). Trends and patterns in blended learning research (1965–2022). Educ Inf Technol 28, 13987–14018. doi.org/10.1007/s10639-023-11754-0
