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.     

赋权予教师:教师专业发展中的教师领导

教师专业发展中的教师领导有两个方面的意义:一是领袖教师对其专业群体的引领;二是教师自主的专业发展。鼓励同侪协作,发挥优秀教师的示范-引领-辐射等作用固然重要,但教师的自主才是专业发展持续且有效的基础。在中国大陆,教师在职的专业发展受到行政部门的主导,骨干教师们在各种专业发展活动中发挥着重要作用,然而也呈现出精英化、等级制与工具性等特征。此外,由于处处受到行政干预,教师的专业发展充满着功利色彩、被迫与被动。我们认为,只有赋权予教师,留给教师自主发展的空间并提供更多选择,才能促成教师持续而有效的发展。教师领导的专业发展应成为教师专业发展的原则之一。     

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

Journal of Science Teacher Education -     

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。     

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 -     

Transformative Professional Development: A Model for Urban Science Education Reform

This study presents a model of Transformative Professional Development (TPD) for use in sustained, collaborative, professional development of teachers in urban middle school science. TPD focuses on urban science teacher change and is responsive to school climate, teacher needs, and teacher beliefs with the intention of promoting change in practice. In this study, TPD was used to meet the needs of individual teachers and the collective needs of schools in reform efforts. The experiences of the eight teachers engaged in this process of professional growth, including their changes in practices and beliefs, provide the focus of this paper. Findings in this study revealed that through the use of TPD, participants in this study improved science teaching effectiveness and began to transform their negative school climate and create positive classroom learning environments. The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not represent views of the U.S. Department of 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。     

Exploring a Framework for Professional Development in Curriculum Innovation: Empowering Teachers for Designing Context-Based Chemistry Education

Involving teachers in early stages of context-based curriculum innovations requires a professional development programme that actively engages teachers in the design of new context-based units. This study considers the implementation of a teacher professional development framework aiming to investigate processes of professional development. The framework is based on Galperin’s theory of the internalisation of actions and it is operationalised into a professional development programme to empower chemistry teachers for designing new context-based units. The programme consists of the teaching of an educative context-based unit, followed by the designing of an outline of a new context-based unit. Six experienced chemistry teachers participated in the instructional meetings and practical teaching in their respective classrooms. Data were obtained from meetings, classroom discussions, and observations. The findings indicated that teachers became only partially empowered for designing a new context-based chemistry unit. Moreover, the process of professional development leading to teachers’ empowerment was not carried out as intended. It is concluded that the elaboration of the framework needs improvement. The implications for a new programme are discussed.     

Overcoming a Learning Bottleneck: Inquiry Professional Development for Secondary Science Teachers

This paper examines the summer component of a year-long professional development program. The program was developed based on recent models of effective professional development that indicate that teachers should guide the direction and focus of the professional development program. Specific activities in the summer program were adapted from a long-running, successful program for university faculty development. In this study we explore the conceptions of inquiry teachers developed during the program, as well as the products teachers created. The discrepancies between program goals and the teachers’ products and conceptions are described and reasons for these differences explored. The results suggest that engaging teachers in identifying key issues in their own professional development is an effective strategy.     

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.     

A Comparison of Professional Development Models for Teachers of Primary Mathematics and Science

The authors have been involved in two substantial Australian teacher professional development projects, with the Mathematical Association of Victoria and with the Science Teachers’ Association of Victoria, which focused, respectively, on a whole‐school professional development and an extended workshop programme. The research described in this paper explores the experiences of participants in these two programmes, in order to identify the advantages and limitations of each type of professional development model in supporting teacher development, and the different needs of teachers in relation to mathematics and science. The findings from a questionnaire, supported by participant interviews, show a range of differences in experience and outcomes due to programme style and subject area. These are used to suggest a developmental framework for conceptualizing teacher professional development needs.     

我国科学教师专业发展阶段及途径初探

目前,我国科学教师专业发展还处于探索阶段,既没有统一的标准,也缺乏相应的鉴定制度,存在着诸多问题。文章结合我国科学教师专业发展现状,对我国科学教师专业发展的阶段及具体途径进行初步探讨。     

Developing a Laboratory Model for the Professional Preparation of Future Science Teachers: A Situated Cognition Perspective

Although laboratory activities are widely acknowledged as being fundamental to the teaching of science, many secondary science school teachers have limited knowledge of how to design and run effective teaching laboratories. Utilising a situated cognition theoretical framework, we discuss our collaborative efforts to develop a laboratory based model for the professional preparation of secondary level science teachers. Findings from the study suggest that the learning which occurs in the laboratory context may be transferred (with appropriate modifications) to the secondary science classroom. Implications also are presented for science teacher preparation, ongoing professional development, and further study.     

A Multi-Year Study of the Impact of the Rice Model Teacher Professional Development on Elementary Science Teachers

A teacher professional development program for in-service elementary school science teachers, the Rice Elementary Model Science Lab (REMSL), was developed for urban school districts serving predominately high-poverty, high-minority students. Teachers with diverse skills and science capacities came together in Professional Learning Communities, one full day each week throughout an academic year, to create a classroom culture for science instruction. Approximately 80 teachers each year received professional development in science content and pedagogy using the same inquiry-based constructivist methods that the teachers were expected to use in their classrooms. During this four-year study, scientists and educators worked with elementary teachers in a year-long model science lab environment to provide science content and science pedagogy. The effectiveness of the program was measured using a mix of quantitative and qualitative methods that allowed the researchers to triangulate the findings from quantitative measures, such as content test and surveys, with the emerging themes from the qualitative instruments, such as class observations and participant interviews. Results showed that, in all four years, teachers from the REMSL Treatment group have significantly increased their science content knowledge (p?<?0.05). During the last two years, their gains in science content knowledge, use of inquiry-based instruction and leadership skills were significantly higher than those of the Control group teachers' (p?<?0.01, p?<?0.001 and p?<?0.05, respectively). Three themes resonated in the interviews with participants: science content knowledge growth, constructivist pedagogy and leadership skills.     

Technology and Early Childhood Education: A Technology Integration Professional Development Model for Practicing Teachers

Despite the promise of technology in education, many practicing teachers are faced with multiple challenges of effectively integrating technology into their classroom instruction. Additionally, teachers who are successful incorporating educational technology into their instruction recognize that although technology tools have the potential to help children, they are not ends in themselves. This article describes a Summer Institute project that the authors facilitated in a medium sized midwest public university. The summer workshop afforded participating early childhood education teachers exciting opportunities to interact with various instructional tools and technology applications. Further, the practicing teachers explored various strategies to integrate specific technology tools into their lessons in a manner consistent with constructivist pedagogy. This article is intended to stimulate reflections on the need to adopt a suitable technology integration professional development model in early childhood education classrooms to support young learners.     

Who Needs What: Recommendations for Designing Effective Online Professional Development for Computer Science Teachers

The new Advanced Placement (AP) Computer Science (CS) Principles course increases the need for quality CS teachers and thus the need for professional development (PD). This article presents the results of a 2-year study investigating how teachers teaching the AP CS Principles course for the first time used online PD material. Our results showed that the teaching and computing background of teachers had a significant impact on the teachers' need for and use of online PD material. More specifically, novice CS teachers needed and used PD for developing their pedagogical content knowledge (PCK). Non-CS teachers needed and used PD materials emphasizing content knowledge. Experienced CS teachers believed they had little need for PD even though they were teaching a new course. Our study makes three recommendations for designing effective online PD for CS teachers: match PD to teachers' background, align PD with the course curriculum, and use effective motivational design to enhance teacher engagement. (Keywords: computer science education, online professional development, K–12, AP computer science principles course)     

Using Scientists and Real-World Scenarios in Professional Development for Middle School Science Teachers

Middle school science teachers were involved in a problem-solving experience presented and guided by research scientists. Data on the teachers’ perspectives about this professional development and any impact it may have had on their teaching practices were collected through interviews, surveys, and classroom observations. The findings show that the professional development experience was positive, although one concern expressed by teachers was their lack of understanding of the scientists’ vocabulary. Using scientists and real-world scenarios was shown to be an effective strategy for encouraging middle school teachers to teach science as a process and help them strengthen their science content understanding.     

论基于学校的教师专业发展模式

无论何种范式的教师专业发展，学校都是其发生与进行的主要场所。基于学校的实际问题，从学校的具体情境中出发，在操作层面上构建教师专业发展的模式对教师专业发展具有更加现实的意义。专家协作、愿景规划、提升素质、结果评价、实践反思和科学研究6个方面的教师专业发展模式是目前比较有效的教师专业发展模式。