Teachers’ mental models in secondary education and their implications for teacher professional development: A systematic literature review

Teachers often struggle to reinterpret familiar situations and enact new insights in practice. Mental models are central in this process, as they shape how teachers interpret and regulate classroom situations. However, the literature lacks conceptual clarity regarding mental models, and coherence regarding their explicitation, change and support through teacher professional development (TPD). This systematic literature review synthesizes findings from 22 studies to address this fragmentation. The results show that mental models are cognitive representations shaped by knowledge structures, beliefs, and assumptions. Although methods exist to make mental models explicit and to support change processes in TPD, understanding of how these elements interrelate is still underdeveloped. Consequently, guidelines for aligning goals, methods and processes in TPD addressing mental models remain limited. We, therefore, provide a foundation for a more integrated, design-oriented understanding of how TPD can support changes in teachers’ mental models. Further research is needed to ensure alignment in practice.