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Florida district weighs effectiveness of science professional learning

The best science teachers are not only experts in teaching and knowledgeable about science content, but they are also great at teaching science. They have specialized teaching knowledge, including knowledge of effective pedagogical practices in science, student difficulties with understanding content, and curricular purposes (Ball & Bass, 2000; Hill, Rowan, & Ball, 2005). As a result, professional development that is both content-specific and anchored in what teachers must do in the classroom is becoming the norm for helping teachers improve their science instruction. Less widespread is professional development that prepares teachers to design units of instruction for students by using available materials or developing their own lessons. This may be in part because some education leaders and researchers do not believe teachers have sufficient skills and knowledge to design instruction for students, so they focus on preparing teachers to follow curriculum developed by

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Authors

Linda Shear and William R. Penuel

Linda Shear ([email protected]) is senior learning consultant and William R. Penuel ([email protected]) is director of evaluation research at SRI International.

References

Atkin, J.M. & Black, P. (2003). Inside science education reform: A history of curricular and policy change. New York: Teachers College Press.

Ball, D.L. & Bass, H. (2000). Interweaving content and pedagogy in teaching and learning to teach: Knowing and using mathematics. In J. Boaler (Ed.), Multiple perspectives on mathematics teaching and learning (pp. 83-104).Westport, CT: Ablex.

Gallagher, L.P. & Penuel,W.R. (2009, April). Preparing teachers to design instruction in middle school Earth science: Impacts of three professional development programs on student learning. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, San Diego, CA.

Hill, H.C., Rowan, B., & Ball, D.L. (2005, Summer). Effects of teachers’ mathematical knowledge for teaching on student achievement. American Educational Research Journal, 42(2), 371-406.

Ingersoll, R.M. (2003, September). Is there really a teacher shortage?Seattle,WA: Center for the Study of Teaching and Policy.

Odden, A., Archibald, S., Fermanich, M., & Gallagher, H.A. (2002). A cost framework for professional development. Journal of Education Finance, 28(1), 51-74.

Penuel,W.R., Benbow, A., Mably, C., McWilliams, H., McAuliffe, C., & Hayden, M.M. (2009). Teaching for understanding in Earth science: Comparing impacts on planning and instruction in three professional development designs for middle school science teachers. Journal of Science Teacher Education, 20(5), 415-436.

Penuel,W.R. & Gallagher, L.P. (2009). Comparing three approaches to preparing teachers to teach for deep understanding in Earth science: Short-term impacts on teachers and teaching practice. The Journal of the Learning Sciences, 18(4), 461-508.

Wiggins, G. & McTighe, J. (1998). Understanding by design. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.