The Research Dynamic: A Professional Development Model for Secondary School Science Teachers

This essay summarizes the author's 10 years of experience at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation mentoring secondary school science teachers during 8-wk Summer Research Institutes. The summary is presented as a learning model, which we call the research dynamic. This model consists of three interlocked components: specified ignorance, peer interactions, and gateway experiments. Specified ignorance is based on the work of the sociologist Robert K. Merton. It is essentially the art of highlighting what is not known about a phenomenon but must become known for further progress. In practice, specified ignorance is framed as a hypothesis, a prediction, or a question. It is commonly the outcome of peer interactions, which are the second essential component of the research dynamic. Peer interactions are the inevitable outcome of having teachers work together in the same laboratory on related research topics. These topics are introduced as gateway experiments, the third component. The most important attribute of gateway experiments is their authenticity. These experiments, when first carried out, opened new scientific vistas. They are also technically, conceptually, and logically simple. We illustrate the research dynamic with a line of seminal experiments in biochemical genetics. We provide evidence that the research dynamic produced significantly positive effects on teachers' confidence in their professional preparedness.     

Fostering Self-Reflection and Meaningful Learning: Earth Science Professional Development for Middle School Science Teachers

This paper describes the analysis of teachers’ journal reflections during an inquiry-based professional development program. As a part of their learning experience, participants reflected on what they learned and how they learned. Progress of subject matter and pedagogical content knowledge was assessed though surveys and pre- and posttests. We found that teachers have difficulties reflecting on their learning and posing meaningful questions. The teachers who could describe how they reasoned from evidence to understand a concept had the highest learning gains. In contrast those teachers who seldom or never described learning a concept by reasoning from evidence showed the smallest learning gains. This analysis suggests that learning to reflect on one’s learning should be an integral part of teachers’ professional development experiences.     

高职教师专业发展的途径探析

本文以教师专业发展途径的研究评述为基础,通过调查、汇总和分析,得出了高职教师专业发展最为有效的五个途径,概述了当前高职教师专业发展的现状及存在问题。     

美国科学教师的专业发展及其启示

美国科学教师的专业发展已经形成了较为完整的体系。在标准上建立了全国性的政策框架,在内容上强调课程学习与教学改革并重,在路径上形成了非官方组织、大学以及专业发展学校共同参与的多元模式。其经验对我国有一定的启示。     

高校中年教师专业发展“瓶颈期”的困境及对策

中年教师作为高校教师队伍中的一个特殊群体,其专业发展问题往往受到忽视。本文分析了高校中年教师专业成长"瓶颈期"的内在本质和形成原因,进而剖析了"瓶颈期"中年教师在专业发展上呈现的"症状",如专业知识陈旧、学习意识匮乏、反思能力不强、合作交流技能欠缺等。这些问题的出现致使高校中年教师专业发展步入了困顿与迷惘阶段。高校管理者应据此对症下药、采取对策,帮扶他们共渡难关,走向专业发展的"第二青春期"。高校中年教师应通过参加学习团体、制定专业发展规划,寻求自身专业再度持续、快速发展的良方。     

Emerging Considerations for Professional Development Institutes for Science Teachers

This paper describes two professional development institutes in project-based science. We collected data from these institutes in the form of structured questionnaires, individual written reflections by the teachers, and focus-group interviews. An analysis of the data revealed three factors that had been underrepresented in previous research: comfort, technology, and balance. In terms of comfort, the teachers expressed a need for both physical and psychological comfort for them to learn. The technological emphasis in our institutes caused teachers to stress in their comments our developing software. We found that, depending on teachers' previous knowledge, technology could be a barrier or a support to the success of institutes. Finally, we found a necessity to balance elements within the institute and a need to balance cognitively demanding time on task with less demanding opportunities for informal interaction.     

A Professional Development System as a Catalyst for Changing Science Teachers

Journal of Science Teacher Education -     

论科学课程教师专业素养:挑战与发展

师资问题能否解决好关系到课程改革的成败。当前,初中《科学》课程已经在全国各试验区开设,但随着课程改革的进行,师资问题尤其是教师的专业素养已经成为制约科学课程改革的瓶颈性因素。先进的教育理念和课程观念、融合的知识结构、不断发展的教学技能和教学研究能力等是构成科学课程教师专业素养的重要内容。提高科学课程教师专业素养是一项复杂、长期、艰巨的系统工程,需要从教师自身和外部环境两方面着手。     

Learning for You and Learning for Me: Mentoring As Professional Development for Mentor Teachers

Professional development (PD) opportunities for teachers most commonly take place outside the classroom and are typically designed to address specific components of teachers’ instruction or curriculum. However, there are other activities that take place within the classroom that may have a profound impact on the PD of a teacher. We sought to gain a deeper understanding of the influence that placing a teacher in a mentor role can have on their PD and practice. Thus, we researched the influence of mentor teachers’ work with university-level STEM education majors by engaging in teaching a limited series of STEM inquiry-based lessons in the mentors’ classrooms. Surveys of the mentor teachers indicated that there were many positive benefits for mentors, including gaining new ideas, increased reflection on their practice, increased engagement of students, and in some cases shifts in practice.     

Workplace as Community: Perspectives on Science Teachers’ Professional Learning

This study explores teacher professional learning within the workplace context of a science department community. Workplace learning is considered in terms of the construction and flow of information about science, pedagogy and the relationships of science to the wider community. Implications for establishing sound conditions for teacher workplace learning are also considered, particularly the importance of trust.     

建立科学学习中心网络,深化科学教师专业发展——英国科学教师专业发展及其启示

在新世纪之初,英国科学教师被认为从事着关系国家存亡的事业,因而其专业发展受到了英国政府的优先关注.2003年国家投资5,100万英镑创建了10个科学学习中心以促进全国科学教师的专业发展.本文介绍和分析了英国科学学习中心创建的背景、结构和功能以及课程设置情况,并据此提出了对我国科学教师专业发展的若干启示.     

Professional Development Programs for Elementary Science Teachers: An Analysis of Teacher Self-Efficacy Beliefs and a Professional Development Model

Journal of Science Teacher Education -     

自我导向性学习与教师专业发展

教师专业发展具有个体性、主动性、内在性等特征，而自我导向性学习则能很好地适应教师专业发展的这些特点。文章在介绍自我导向性学习的含义与特点的基础上，对自我导向性学习与教师专业发展的关系以及如何促进教师的自我导向性学习进行了阐述。     

Using Action Research to Engage K-6 Teachers in Nature of Science Inquiry as Professional Development

Teachers are required to work with data on a daily basis to assess the effectiveness of their teaching strategies, but may not approach it as research. This paper presents a reflective discussion of how and when a professional development team used an action research project to help 12 K-6 teachers explore the effectiveness of reform based Nature of Science (NOS) teaching strategies in their classrooms. The team encouraged community development and provided “just in time” supports to scaffold the steps of the action research process for teachers. The discussion includes concerns they addressed and issues related to management and support of the professional development model. Evaluation results are shared to suggest how this approach can be improved in the future.     

优秀外语教师专业成长叙事研究

采用叙事的方式对一名小学英语教学名师专业成长的各阶段的特征、发展有效途径、动力和阻力等方面进行描述、诠释与反思。研究表明,个案教学名师的专业发展大概经历了从"盲目"到"佳境"五个阶段,基本呈直线上升趋势,但又有其发展的特殊性。在专业发展的过程中,协作研究、教师培训、有效的教学反思是教师专业发展的重要途径,对专业的追求是教师专业发展的主动力,教师自身的专业知识素养和教学评价制度是影响教师专业发展的重要因素。