Aligning Teachers’ Professional Development Needs and Learning Preferences for Microlearning Design

Designing accessible and relevant continuous professional development (CPD) requires an understanding of both teachers’ learning needs and their preferences for engaging with professional learning materials. This study examined these two dimensions to inform the design of microlearning-based CPD. A quantitative descriptive needs analysis was conducted with 57 teachers who voluntarily participated through non-probability recruitment via institutional channels, representing elementary, junior secondary, senior secondary, and vocational schools in the Special Region of Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Data were collected through an online questionnaire and analyzed using frequencies, percentages, and mean scores. The findings identified data-based learning evaluation (M = 4.00), formative assessment (M = 3.95), and artificial intelligence in learning (M = 3.95) as leading perceived professional learning needs. Most respondents preferred microlearning units lasting three to seven minutes (73.7%), sequential learning pathways (70.2%), and video-based content (80.7%). Time constraints were the most frequently reported barrier (45.6%). The survey findings were subsequently used to inform a preliminary seven-stage CPD content mapping comprising 143 proposed microlearning units, which have not yet undergone expert or user validation. The study provides an initial empirical basis for microlearning design decisions rather than evidence of intervention effectiveness.