Hong Kong Kindergarten Teachers’ Satisfaction and Engagement in a Music-and-Movement Online Professional Development Course

Abstract

Online professional development (PD) can be a sustainable and easily scalable alternative to provide early childhood teachers with training opportunities. However, there is limited research on teachers’ levels of satisfaction and engagement in online PD initiatives. Understanding teachers’ levels of satisfaction and engagement is crucial, as these may influence the effectiveness of online PD in benefiting teachers and ultimately young children. This study aimed to examine Hong Kong kindergarten teachers’ satisfaction and engagement in a music-and-movement (M&M) online PD course. This study involved 56 participants who received an 11-week online PD course. Questionnaires were administered after course completion. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and t-tests. Participants had high levels of satisfaction with the course, particularly those with no or some M&M background, who were more satisfied with the course content and instruction. Participants had moderate-to-high levels of engagement in the course, particularly those with no or some M&M background, who were more emotionally engaged. We conclude that sustainable and easily scalable online PD initiatives can result in high levels of satisfaction and engagement among kindergarten teachers, especially those with limited M&M background. This study supports the idea that online PD can be responsive to teachers’ needs and preferences.

1. Introduction

Teacher preparation programs in early childhood offer limited music-and-movement (M&M) training opportunities for teachers [1]. The music training provided in teacher preparation programs is typically short [2] and mostly focused on theory [3]. This is problematic because M&M activities play a crucial role in children’s learning and development [4,5]. Without sufficient preparation, teachers will not be equipped to effectively integrate M&M activities into their classrooms. As a potential solution to this challenge, participating in professional development (PD) initiatives can enhance teachers’ knowledge and skills in M&M [6,7]. However, organizing face-to-face PD in M&M can be expensive and challenging, especially given that teachers may possess diverse M&M backgrounds [8]. In recent years, there has been a growing trend to provide early childhood teachers with PD opportunities online. Online PD initiatives are cost-effective and not limited by time and location constraints, as well as sustainable and easily scalable [9]. Nevertheless, there is a lack of understanding regarding the extent to which teachers are engaged and satisfied with this particular type of PD.

In this study, we aim to explore Hong Kong kindergarten teachers’ satisfaction and engagement in an online PD initiative in M&M, as well as the impact of their M&M background on satisfaction and engagement. In the literature review, we discuss prior studies on satisfaction and engagement in online PD. Subsequently, we discuss the context of online PD and present the goals of the study.

2. Literature Review

PD initiatives play a crucial role in enhancing the knowledge, skills, and practices of teachers, leading to improved outcomes for both teachers themselves [10] and the children they educate. In recent years, there has been an increase in online PD for teachers to learn and develop [11], especially after the COVID-19 pandemic. Online PD is “perceived as a positive learning space where relevant material can be accessed any time, and interactions can occur beyond one’s geographical location. Online PD fosters self-directed learning and aligns with expectations for effective PD” [12] (p. 11). One of the advantages of online PD is reducing travel time and costs [13], allowing teachers to learn from home or work, given that teachers lack time and energy due to their heavy daily workload [14]. Learning from home or work enables teachers to effectively balance their employment responsibilities with PD opportunities [15]. Another advantage of online PD is the possibility of having discussion opportunities with diverse colleagues without worrying about geographical limitations [16]. Teachers can benefit from the expertise of colleagues who may have different teaching experiences and backgrounds, leading to a more comprehensive understanding of the topics at hand. In addition, online PD allows teachers to revisit and review previous learning materials [17], hence strengthening their understanding of the PD content. Therefore, the flexibility, sustainability, accessibility, and collaborative opportunities provided by online PD contribute significantly to the professional growth of teachers [18].

2.1. Satisfaction with Online PD

In the field of teacher PD, the concept of satisfaction refers to the degree of contentment and fulfillment that participants experienced with a given PD initiative [19]. Biasutti et al. [20] and Jing and Zhao [21] proposed that satisfaction of an online course can be assessed in the following areas: organization, content and instruction, platform and resources, as well as assessment and examination. These authors defined organization as the management and structure of the course, including the sequencing of topics. Content and instruction refer to “knowledge, skills, ideas, tasks, or activities presented to the students in the course” [21] (p. 44). Platform and resources allude to the online systems used to deliver a course, as well as the materials that supported learning. Finally, assessment and examination refer to methods utilized to evaluate participants’ understanding of a course (e.g., quizzes, reflections, observations, exams).

Understanding the participants’ levels of satisfaction derived from an online PD course is essential for guaranteeing the quality and reputation of PD initiatives [22]. Participants report higher degrees of satisfaction when online courses are well organized [23] and have a clear structure [9]. Fabia [24] found that course content affected participants’ satisfaction. Participants valued the course content for its relevance, practicality, and meaningfulness in their professional lives. Other researchers found that participants appreciated content-specific activities [25] and the effective linking of pedagogical skills and content [23]. In addition, in the study conducted by Hong et al. [26], participants were more satisfied with a well-designed platform or interface, leading to increased utility value and intention to continue using the online learning system. Topal [27] found that online courses with seven or more materials and resources (i.e., web pages, pdf/text documents, animations, videos, graphics/images) led to higher participant satisfaction ratings. Furthermore, insufficient communication or contact between instructors and participants is frequently criticized in online courses [28]. Thus, having open communication channels to ensure interaction between participants and instructors can promote participants’ satisfaction [27].

2.2. Engagement in Online PD

Engagement refers to a person’s active involvement, interaction, and connection with their learning tasks and activities [29] in relation to the quality of learning [30]. Fredricks et al. [31] proposed that engagement consists of three distinct dimensions including behavioral engagement, emotional engagement, and cognitive engagement. Behavioral engagement involves actively and physically participating in learning tasks [32] such as interacting with the instructor and participating in learning activities. Emotional engagement refers to one’s feelings towards an idea, an activity, a situation, or a course [33,34]. The feeling can be positive (happiness, enthusiasm, enjoyment) [35] or negative (sadness, anger, disappointment). Finally, cognitive engagement refers to exerting mental effort to notice, memorize, think, or understand a concept or an idea [31]. Pickering [36] described a cognitively engaged learner as someone who “embraces the challenge of acquiring new knowledge or skill sets, and goes beyond the course requirements” (p. 822).

High levels of engagement in an online course are associated with better learning outcomes and participant achievement [37]. Our literature review identified one study specifically addressing teachers’ engagement in online PD. Xiao et al. [38] investigated the level of engagement of 53 in-service teachers in China with an online synchronous training course focused on ClassIn (a video-conferencing system). Participants had the highest score on behavioral engagement and the lowest on emotional engagement. Interestingly, the authors found that the engagement levels of participants varied across different learning stages. This variability was influenced by teachers’ curiosity and interaction with specific learning tasks.

Our literature review also included studies that examined engagement among university students. Bai et al. [39] found that college students in Mainland China demonstrated good emotional engagement, moderate cognitive engagement, and poor behavioral engagement in online classrooms during the COVID-19 epidemic. Increasing interactive and personalized activities contributed to improving learners’ behavioral engagement. In contrast, in the United States, Sun and Rueda [40] found that university students demonstrated higher engagement in behavioral engagement, followed by emotional engagement and cognitive engagement. Sun and Rueda [40] indicated that utilization of online tools, such as multimedia and discussion boards, could enhance student interest and emotional engagement.

Few studies have investigated the levels of satisfaction and engagement in online PD initiatives specifically targeting M&M. In the United States, thirteen in-service teachers participated in a seven-week online course regarding a virtual orchestra with coding. Participants designed and created individual paper musical instruments and used programing commands to connect coding and the musical instruments. They reported increased satisfaction and levels of comfort with the online course, especially comfort with hands-on activities [41]. In Italy, twenty-four in-service music teachers participated in a three-year blended online course containing face-to-face workshops, online asynchronous lessons, and a final project. Participants engaged in activities such as collective music and body percussion. Teachers reported a high level of satisfaction with online asynchronous lessons in course materials, course structure, workload balance, and usefulness of activities [15].

The studies included in the literature review were conducted in different socio-cultural contexts, mainly in Western countries such as the United States and Italy. In contrast, the present study was conducted in an Asian society: Hong Kong. It is important to bear in mind that studies conducted in different socio-cultural contexts may not necessarily yield the same results due to variations in educational systems, cultural values, and social norms. In the next section, we provide detailed information on the online PD in M&M featured in the present study.

3. Context for the Research: RAMSR in Hong Kong Kindergartens

The M&M intervention called ‘Rhythm and Movement for Self-Regulation’ (RAMSR) was originally developed in Australia [42]. RAMSR aims to develop children’s self-regulation skills through a series of fun and engaging M&M activities. RAMSR offers four lesson plans, each containing six activities, all specifically designed to address different self-regulation skills through M&M. RAMSR requires simple materials such as wooden sticks, castanets, and visual cue cards. In our study, participants were given these materials to implement RAMSR with children in the class before the course began. Our team designed an online PD course to train kindergarten teachers in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) to incorporate RAMSR into their classroom. In Hong Kong, the term kindergarten refers to center-based programs that provide education services for children aged three to six. Most kindergartens offer half-day (three-to-four-hour-long) programs [43].

The online PD course was designed based on the five features of high-quality PD [44], namely, content focus, active learning opportunities, coherence, sufficient duration, and collective participation. The course consisted of 11 sessions, which were released weekly. Each session included a series of pre-recorded videos. Session 1 provided an introduction to RAMSR and explained the concept of self-regulation. Session 2 detailed the RAMSR target skills and the rationale behind them. The following eight sessions focused on the four RAMSR plans, describing the corresponding activities in detail and explaining the associated target skills with demonstration videos: Plan 1 (Sessions 3–4), Plan 2 (Sessions 5–6), Plan 3 (Sessions 7–8), and Plan 4 (Sessions 9–10). Session 11 provided a final recap and conclusion. The online PD course was delivered through Google Classroom (an app launched by Google). After enrolling in the course, teachers could access the videos at any time and from any location. Each session required approximately two to three hours to complete, including video watching, answering questions in Google Classroom, discussion with colleagues, and self-practice of RAMSR.

We developed nine diverse and multi-sensory resource types to suit participants with varied learning styles [45]. These types of resources were the following:

• RAMSR lesson plans. The lesson plans presented detailed the steps, methods, and songs for each M&M activity.
• Song book. The book presented 11 songs with music notation and lyrics.
• Demonstration videos of adults carrying out the RAMSR plans. In these videos, adults demonstrated each of the four lesson plans.
• Demonstration videos of children carrying out the RAMSR plans. These videos were recorded in a local kindergarten with actual teachers and children demonstrating each lesson plan.
• Videos of implementation tips. These videos provided general implementation tips that applied to all lesson plans, as well as tips that applied specifically to the lesson plan at hand.
• Videos explaining each individual activity and the associated self-regulatory skills. These videos included the steps of each activity and the self-regulatory skills that needed to be activated.
• Videos explaining the RAMSR target skills (in general). These videos provided an overview of the RAMSR target skills (such as beat synchronization and attentional regulation) and justified why they were the focus of the course.
• Videos of specialists talking about self-regulation and RAMSR. In these videos, our RAMSR specialists introduced self-regulation and explained why M&M activities were important to foster children’s self-regulation.
• Questions in Google Classroom. Teachers were requested to answer multiple-choice questions or true-or-false questions to increase their familiarity with the course contents.

The course encompassed both individual and group activities, allowing teachers to learn from one another, receive feedback, and enhance their teaching skills through extensive practice and revision sessions. Throughout the course, teachers were encouraged to actively engage in the discussion forum in Google Classroom, where they could post questions and exchange ideas with their colleagues and the course provider. Reminders were sent to teachers regularly to ensure that they stayed informed and could arrange their participation accordingly. If teachers had any questions or inquiries, they could contact our course experts by email, WhatsApp, or phone. The course experts included university professors, doctoral students, and senior research assistants specialized in early childhood education. They took the official online training course provided by the developer of RAMSR in Australia, which involved 15 h of work. These experts were responsible for developing the RAMSR online PD course and served as the lead teachers in the demonstration videos.

4. Goals

To fill the existing gaps in the literature, the present study had two goals. Goal 1 was to investigate Hong Kong kindergarten teachers’ satisfaction with the RAMSR online resources and the PD course as a whole, as well as the relationship between their level of satisfaction and their prior M&M background. Goal 2 was to examine the level of engagement experienced by kindergarten teachers throughout the RAMSR online PD course and the relationship between their engagement and prior M&M background.

5. Methods

5.1. Participants

Participants were 56 in-service kindergarten teachers recruited from seven local kindergartens in Hong Kong. They were in charge of three-to-six-year-old children in the 2022/2023 academic year. Initially, 84 teachers enrolled in the RAMSR online PD course. When the PD ended, they were asked to self-report their course completion rate using the following scale: less than 20%, 20–40%, 40–60%, 60–80%, and 80–100%. In this study, we decided to exclude participants who had completed less than 60% of the course. The rationale for this decision was that these participants had not been sufficiently exposed to the course activities and resources, hence they would be unable to provide reliable accounts of their satisfaction and engagement. Interestingly, most of the excluded participants were specialist Chinese teachers and typically did not use M&M activities in the classroom. The remaining participants (N = 56) were evenly split, with half having completed 60–80% of the course activities and the other half having completed 80–100%.

Table 1. Descriptive characteristics of participants (N = 56).

Characteristic	Mean/Frequency	S.D./%
Age	35.1	9.62
Gender
Female	55	98.2
Male	1	1.79
Years of experience teaching children aged 3–6
Less than 4 years	22	39.3
4–14 years	25	44.6
More than 14 years	9	16.1
Highest academic qualifications
Up to foundation diploma	2	3.57
Associate degree/higher diploma	17	30.4
Bachelor’s degree	27	48.2
Postgraduate diploma in education (PGDE)/master’s degree or above	10	17.9

summarizes the demographic characteristics of the 56 study participants, specifically focusing on their age, gender, teaching experience, and academic qualifications.

Participants’ prior M&M background was measured using five dichotomous items with a yes (scored 1)/no (scored 0) response option that assessed formal and informal prior M&M experiences. These items were designed based on the study conducted by Bautista and Ho [46]. For example, two of the items were “Have you had any formal training in a musical instrument? (at least two years of training)” and “Did you take any course/s related to M&M in college or university?”. Affirmative responses were summed to create a total M&M background score, with a potential range of zero to five, with higher scores indicating a higher prior M&M background. Most participants obtained total scores of zero, one, or two (see

Table 2. Participants’ M&M background (N = 56).

Total M&M Background Score	Frequency	%
0	22	39.3
1	15	26.8
2	15	26.8
3	3	5.4
4	1	1.8
5	0	0.0
	Mean	S.D.
Average	1.04	1.03

).

5.2. Instruments

The survey was developed considering existing online course assessment tools, such as the MOOC Satisfaction Scale [21] and Students’ Engagement Scale [40]. Some items were modified based on the content of our RAMSR online PD course. Items included dichotomous items (yes or no), multiple-choice items, and Likert scale items. The survey included three main sections.

• Satisfaction with the RAMSR online resources. The first section assessed teachers’ rating of nine RAMSR online resources (α = 0.934). We asked: “Please rate the following RAMSR resources based on their usefulness to implement RAMSR in your classroom.”. For example, two of the resources were “Song book” and “RAMSR lesson plans”. Teachers responded on a 7-point Likert scale, ranging from 1 = “Not useful at all” to 7 = “Extremely useful”.
• Overall satisfaction with the PD course. To assess teachers’ level of satisfaction with the PD course as a whole, a 17-item scale (α = 0.953) was used, with 14 items adopted from the MOOC Satisfaction Scale (e.g., “The scope of knowledge covered by the course met my learning needs.”) [21], and three items adopted from an evaluation questionnaire (e.g., “The course had clear objectives.”) [20]. We asked: “Please indicate your level of agreement with the following…”, which was followed by 17 items. All items were scored on a 5-point Likert scale, ranging from 1 = “Strongly disagree” to 5 = “Strongly agree”.
• Engagement in the online PD course. To assess teachers’ level of engagement, we adopted twelve items (α = 0.858) from the Students’ Engagement Scale originally developed by Fredricks et al. [31] and Fredricks et al. [47], subsequently modified by Sun and Rueda [40]. For instance, we asked participants to indicate their level of agreement with the item “I liked taking the RAMSR online PD course.”. Teachers responded on a 5-point Likert scale, ranging from 1 = “Strongly disagree” to 5 = “Strongly agree”.

The survey took about 10 min to complete and was operational for one month. It was available in English and Traditional Chinese and could be completed using electronic devices (e.g., smartphone, computer).

5.3. Procedure

Ethical approval was obtained from the authors’ university ethics committee. The duration of the RAMSR online PD course was 11 weeks. The course was conducted in the first quarter of 2023. The hyperlink to the Qualtrics online survey was sent to the principals of the participating kindergartens after the completion of the PD course. Principals were asked to forward the survey hyperlink to the teachers in their kindergartens. Once the teachers received the hyperlink, they were able to access the survey by clicking on the provided link. This link directed them to the Qualtrics platform. The platform was accessible through various electronic devices, such as mobile phones, tablets, or computers, allowing the participants to respond at their convenience.

To ensure impartiality and avoid potential conflict of interests, we only collected quantitative data for this study. The PD course was ungraded; hence, participants’ responses had no impact on grades. Teachers received a certificate of completion regardless of their responses to this survey and were not given any incentives or rewards for participating in the study. They were informed that there were no right or wrong answers and were encouraged to answer all questions honestly, reflecting their own opinions and experiences.

5.4. Data Analysis

To address Goal 1, descriptive statistics (means and standard deviations) were first generated to examine teachers’ satisfaction with the various learning resources and with the PD as a whole. Then, we separated the whole sample into two groups based on their M&M backgrounds. The two groups were: no-to-some M&M background (score < 2) and moderate-to-high M&M background (score $\ge$ 2). Independent sample t-tests were conducted to examine the significance of any differences in satisfaction level between the two groups of teachers with different M&M backgrounds. To address Goal 2, descriptive statistics were used to describe the demographic characteristics and level of engagement. Independent sample t-tests were conducted to examine whether the engagement of teachers with different M&M backgrounds was significantly different. We used the same grouping method employed for Goal 1. All quantitative data were analyzed using IBM SPSS (version 27).

6. Results

6.1. Goal 1: Teachers’ Satisfaction with the RAMSR Online PD Course and Its Relationship with Prior M&M Background

We asked participants “Please rate the RAMSR resources based on their usefulness to implement RAMSR in your classroom”. This was followed by the nine PD resources presented in

Table 3. Usefulness of the RAMSR PD resources (N = 56).

Resources	Mean	S.D.
Song book	6.04	1.01
Demonstration videos of children carrying out the RAMSR plans	6.02	0.884
RAMSR lesson plans	6.00	0.953
Demonstration videos of adults carrying out the RAMSR plans	5.77	1.06
Videos explaining each individual activity and the associated self-regulatory skills	5.73	0.884
Videos explaining the RAMSR target skills (in general)	5.66	0.996
Videos of implementation tips	5.64	0.903
Videos of specialists talking about self-regulation and RAMSR	5.57	1.02
Questions in Google Classroom	5.43	0.951

Note. A 7-point Likert scale was used (ranging from 1 = “Not useful at all” to 7 = “Extremely useful”).

. The average level of usefulness (M = 5.76, S.D. = 0.780) of all nine RAMSR resources was moderate to high. Table 3 presents the nine PD resources organized based on the resulting means, in descending order. The resources that participants found most useful were “Song book”, “Demonstration videos of children carrying out the RAMSR plans”, and “RAMSR lesson plans”. In contrast, resources such as “Videos of implementation tips”, “Videos of specialists talking about self-regulation and RAMSR” and “Questions in Google Classroom” were found to be relatively less useful.

To evaluate the participants’ satisfaction with the PD course as a whole, the teachers were asked: “Please indicate your level of agreement with the following items”. This was followed by the 17 items presented in

Table 4. Means according to satisfaction constructs proposed by Jing and Zhao [21] (17 items).

Items	Mean	S.D.
Overall organization	4.28	0.578
The course had clear objectives.	4.36	0.616
The course was organized coherently.	4.25	0.611
The course helped me to develop ideas on music-and-movement education.	4.23	0.660
Platforms and Resources	4.20	0.508
The resources of the course were diverse.	4.23	0.603
The videos of the course met my visual requirements.	4.21	0.594
The interface of the course was friendly and easy to use.	4.14	0.616
Content and Instruction	4.17	0.473
The content of the course was suitable for my previous knowledge base.	4.27	0.556
The trainers’ explanations and presentations were clear and easy to understand.	4.25	0.667
The scope of knowledge covered by the course met my learning needs.	4.23	0.572
The overall time requirement of the course was reasonable.	4.16	0.654
The course stimulated my interest in learning.	4.14	0.616
The trainers mobilized my enthusiasm for learning during the course.	4.13	0.634
The course has allowed me to link theory and practice.	4.11	0.562
The difficulty of the course was acceptable to me.	4.09	0.668
Assessment and Examination	4.14	0.578
The number of questions in Google Classroom for this course was appropriate.	4.23	0.660
The questions in this course helped me consolidate my learning.	4.13	0.634
The amount of homework for the course was acceptable.	4.05	0.724

Note. N = 56. A 5-point Likert scale was used (ranging from 1 = “Strongly disagree” to 5 = “Strongly agree”).

. The items are organized according to the four constructs theorized by Jing and Zhao [21], with the resulting means in descending order. The average level of satisfaction for all items was high (M = 4.20, S.D. = 0.484). Note that participants expressed the highest satisfaction with items pertaining to overall organization, and the lowest satisfaction with assessment and examination.

The independent sample t-test revealed a significant relationship between participants’ satisfaction and their prior M&M background. Participants who had no-to-some M&M background (score < 2) reported significantly higher levels of satisfaction with all 17 items, t(54) = −2.214, p < 0.05, Cohen’s d = −0.625. More specifically, participants who had no-to-some M&M background (score < 2) reported significantly higher levels of satisfaction in content and instruction, t(54) = −2.337, p < 0.05, Cohen’s d = −0.660.

6.2. Goal 2: Teachers’ Engagement in the RAMSR Online PD Course and Its Relationship with Prior M&M Background

To address Goal 2, participants were asked: “Please indicate your level of agreement with the following statements”. This was followed by the 12 items presented in

Table 5. Means according to engagement constructs proposed by Sun and Rueda [40] (12 items).

Items	Mean	S.D.
Behavioral engagement	4.03	0.559
I followed the instructions of the RAMSR PD course.	4.12	0.574
I completed my homework on time.	3.93	0.806
Emotional engagement	3.88	0.577
I liked taking the RAMSR PD course.	4.04	0.602
I was interested in the work at the course.	4.02	0.646
I felt happy when taking the course.	4.00	0.688
I felt bored by the RAMSR PD course. *	3.96	0.953
I felt excited with my work in the course.	3.91	0.695
I talked with people outside my school about what I was learning in the RAMSR PD course.	3.34	0.978
Cognitive engagement	3.34	0.708
If I did not know about a concept involved in the RAMSR PD course, I did something to figure it out.	3.63	0.648
When I read the course materials, I asked myself questions to make sure I was understanding the content.	3.46	0.762
I read extra materials to learn more about the things we studied on the course.	3.16	1.005
I tried to look for some course-related information on other resources such as internet, journal papers, magazines, etc.	3.13	0.87

Note. N = 56. A 5-point Likert scale was used (ranging from 1 = “Strongly disagree” to 5 = “Strongly agree”). * Reversed score.

. The items are organized around the three constructs proposed by Sun and Rueda [40], with the resulting means in descending order. The average engagement level was moderate to high (M = 3.72, S.D. = 0.489). Participants reported the highest agreement regarding behavioral engagement, but the lowest agreement in cognitive engagement.

The independent sample t-test revealed a significant relationship between participants’ engagement and their prior M&M background. Participants who had no-to-some M&M background (score < 2) reported significantly higher levels of engagement in all 12 items, t(54) = −2.093, p < 0.05, Cohen’s d = −0.591. More specifically, participants who had no-to-some M&M background (score < 2) reported significantly higher levels of engagement in emotional engagement, t(54) = −2.200, p < 0.05, Cohen’s d = −0.621.

7. Discussion and Conclusions

This study aimed to fill existing research gaps regarding teachers’ satisfaction and engagement in M&M PD initiatives in online environments.

Regarding Goal 1, we found that participants expressed high levels of satisfaction with most of the RAMSR online resources. In designing these resources, we took into account the potential different learning styles of participants [45]. Recognizing that some teachers might be less responsive to textual materials while others might prefer visual content or videos, we incorporated a range of rich, diversified, and multi-sensory resources to enhance learning effectiveness. For example, because teachers might face challenges in implementing complex activities as outlined in text-based lesson plans, we provided demonstration videos with adults and children to offer concrete and visual illustrations of how to implement these activities. Additionally, other videos included animations designed to simplify the content, thereby enhancing comprehension and capturing teachers’ attention [48].

Topal [27] found that when the number of resources provided in an online course was seven or above, participants’ level of satisfaction was higher. In alignment with this finding, our provision of nine resources resulted in similarly high satisfaction levels among our participants. In addition to the quantity of resources, the type of resources played a critical role in determining satisfaction. Resources that garnered the highest levels of satisfaction, such as “Song book” and “RAMSR lesson plans”, were ready-to-use and practical. These resources effectively reduced teachers’ workload and simplified lesson preparation. Conversely, resources that received relatively lower satisfaction ratings, such as “Videos of specialists talking about self-regulation and RAMSR”, were content-focused resources that presented factual information and did not require participants to actively engage with the material [49]. When developing learning resources, therefore, PD designers need to be conscious of their type and interactivity, as such factors have an important impact on teachers’ satisfaction.

Participants exhibited high levels of satisfaction with the PD course as a whole. The course rated very positively in the dimensions of overall organization, platforms and resources, content and instruction, and assessment and examination. Among these dimensions, the overall organization received the highest satisfaction ratings [23]. The results are in line with Meyer et al. [9], who reported that teachers in Germany valued well-organized structure and goal-oriented online PD courses. Regarding our course, the initial two sessions were introductory, and the remaining sessions concentrated on four lesson plans with a similar structure and sequence of activities. A clear and consistent structure helped teachers to reduce uncertainty and allowed them to focus on improving specific elements of the course [50]. Thus, a well-organized structure was instrumental in fostering a conducive learning environment by ensuring consistency and predictability, thereby enhancing the satisfaction of the PD course.

The high satisfaction rating with the PD course as a whole may be also due to the course’s design, which was based on the five features of high-quality PD [44]. As mentioned in the literature review, these features were as follows:

• Content focus: We emphasized the content and instruction of innovative M&M activities [25]. Comprehensive instruction that encompassed theory and hands-on experiences were provided to teachers.
• Active learning opportunities: Teachers had opportunities to practice RAMSR on-site and obtain feedback. For example, teachers were encouraged to record their practice on video and send it to our specialists, who then provided constructive feedback [51].
• Coherence: The course aligned with the Kindergarten Education Curriculum Guide [52], which promotes the regular implementation of diverse M&M activities, including responding to beats and rhythms with movement.
• Sufficient duration: The 11-session course spread over two and a half months, which is considered a sufficient duration to promote meaningful changes in teachers [44]. This ensured that participants could fully engage in and understand the content.
• Collaborative participation: We encouraged collaboration among teachers both within and outside of their kindergarten. For example, the discussion forum provided in the course platform allowed ideas sharing and discussion of RAMSR experiences.

We observed a significant relationship between participants’ satisfaction and their prior M&M background. Participants with limited M&M background reported significantly higher levels of satisfaction with the course as a whole, specifically in content and instruction [25]. Our result aligned with Qian et al. [53], who found that teachers with different backgrounds had different gains from PD initiatives. Teachers with limited M&M background tended to enhance both their content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge (PCK), probably because they intended to effectively implement innovative M&M activities. In contrast, teachers with higher M&M background generally do not struggle with the music content knowledge and PCK. Our findings therefore prompted us to consider whether the duration of PD should be uniform for all teachers, regardless of their varying backgrounds in M&M. Teachers with more extensive M&M backgrounds may require less time to master the content knowledge and PCK. While a sufficient duration is one of the features of high-quality PD [54], adjusting the length of PD courses to accommodate teachers with different backgrounds could better meet individual needs and enhance their satisfaction. However, this hypothesis needs further research to be thoroughly investigated.

Regarding Goal 2, we found that participants reported a moderate-to-high level of engagement in the online PD course. Participants rated behavioral engagement the highest and cognitive engagement the lowest. This outcome is consistent with that of Xiao et al. [38], who found that in-service teachers had a high level of behavioral engagement participating in an online training course related to ClassIn. Notably, the setting of Xiao’s [38] study differed from ours in that their training course was a one-off session with a duration of 75 min. The high rating of behavioral engagement could be due to the reminders we sent to our participants. On account of teachers’ heavy workload [55], we sent reminders to teachers through both email and WhatsApp during the PD course to enhance their behavioral engagement [56]. The purpose of these reminders was to inform teachers about the release of new sessions and remind them to use our resources and complete the questions in Google Classroom. These reminders could ensure teachers stayed updated and could plan their participation accordingly.

Interestingly, the resulting cognitive engagement scores were lower than behavioral and emotional engagement scores. In a study conducted by Kew and Tasir [57] on cognitive engagement in e-learning, it was found that half of the university students exhibited low levels of cognitive engagement. Extra assistance, such as scaffolding, was suggested to enhance their cognitive engagement to improve their learning performance [57]. The primary reason may be due to our course’s provision of numerous ready-to-use resources, such as lesson plans and demonstration videos. While these resources are highly convenient and ready-to-use, teachers require relatively less mental effort in the learning activities [58]. Furthermore, the difficulty of questions in Google Classroom was relatively straightforward. Problem solving and deep cognitive processing were not required very often. This may explain why cognitive engagement received a lower rating than behavioral and emotional engagement.

Our study identified a significant relationship between participants’ engagement and their prior M&M background. Participants with limited M&M background reported significantly higher levels of engagement, specifically emotional engagement, in our PD course. This finding aligns with Qian et al. [53], who revealed that teachers with different backgrounds manifested different engagement levels. The result was probably because our participants with limited M&M background were more curious, interested, and liked our PD course. Consistent with Sun and Rueda [40], emotional engagement was strongly correlated with interest. Additionally, we provided a discussion forum in Google Classroom, where teachers received support from their peers, which was especially valuable when facing common challenges. This mutual support could have enhanced the emotional well-being of participants [59]. More importantly, we speculate that teachers found professional relevance and meaningfulness in the course content and that this made them more emotionally engaged [60], as our PD course emphasized that RAMSR could be implemented in the classroom to impact children’s development.

Interestingly, teachers with more extensive M&M backgrounds reported slightly lower levels of satisfaction and engagement compared to their counterparts. While their satisfaction and engagement were also high, their prior background seemed to make them more critical of the course. The resources and materials might not have been as innovative and/or interesting for them, as these were tailored to kindergarten teachers with no M&M knowledge and skills.

7.1. Conclusions

Our RAMSR online PD course resulted in high levels of satisfaction and engagement among kindergarten teachers in Hong Kong. Our first conclusion is that online PD can effectively foster teachers’ satisfaction and engagement. This outcome is relevant, given the cost effectiveness of online PD and the reduction in time and location constraints [61]. When online PD courses are thoughtfully and promptly designed, teachers can fully engage in and enjoy online learning experiences. Therefore, we can upscale such sustainable online initiatives to train all teachers at a relatively low cost. However, the levels of satisfaction and engagement may vary depending on teachers’ backgrounds. Teachers with diverse M&M backgrounds may have differing expectations and needs [53]. Thus, it is important to customize online PD to accommodate teachers’ varying backgrounds. Overall, this study is significant due to the limited number of research articles focusing on teachers’ satisfaction and engagement in online PD [62] and the impact of background diversity on satisfaction and engagement levels in online learning environments.

7.2. Limitations and Further Research

Although this study offers valuable insights into teachers’ satisfaction and engagement in an online PD course, it is not without its limitations. First, this study relied on a single data source, specifically self-reported data. Hence, findings could have been affected by socially desirable responding [63]. Participants could have increased their satisfaction and engagement ratings to align with what they believed the researchers wanted to hear. Future studies should therefore include additional data sources, such as interviews and focus group discussions, to enable data triangulation [64]. Second, our study applied convenience sampling methods to recruit participants based on their availability and willingness to participate. This may affect the generalizability of our findings, as it is uncertain whether the sample was representative [65]. Future research should utilize more rigorous sampling methods such as random sampling to enhance the representativeness of the findings.

7.3. Practical Implications

This study holds significant value for various stakeholders. It enables PD designers to understand the development of online PD that incorporates high-quality features [44]. Our online RAMSR PD course, which incorporated high-quality features [54], was well received by kindergarten teachers. This information is essential for shaping the future of online PD in M&M. School authorities consistently strive to identify high-quality PD courses that are suitable for all teachers [60]. Our online PD course meets this need, receiving high ratings of satisfaction and engagement, making it highly beneficial for teachers. Given the limited online PD opportunities for teachers in early childhood education, particularly in the area of M&M [1], this approach to PD ensures that teachers have access to the necessary resources and training for professional growth. Policymakers should allocate funding and resources to support PD designers or universities in the development of high-quality online PD initiatives for teachers [60]. Investing in sustainable and scalable online PD is a cost-effective strategy for improving teaching quality. The expansion of teachers’ knowledge and skills through online PD will ultimately guarantee that children can benefit from M&M.