Math, science, technology after school clubs and summer magnet school: Collaborative professional development opportunities for science educators (original) (raw)
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The 1996 National Education Science Standards (NSES) in the U.S. provide descriptions of needed reforms for K-16 science teaching and improvements regarding indications of student learning. The goals indicate specifically the changes needed in teaching and improved ways for assessing student learning. This paper discusses how teaching and student assessment have changed the professional development and ways of accomplishing better learning with students. The emphasis is on teacher preparation and continuing work with in-service teachers which has improved U.S. teachers. It is important to note how such changes can provide additional evidence for accomplishments while also encouraging additional changes.
Restructuring Teacher Education. Fastback 325
1991
This booklet focuses on reform of the professional portion of initial teacher preparation. Following an introduction entitled "Professional Education Under Attack," the booklet is organized into three sections. The first section evaluates the validity of four common criticisms of professional education of teachers, including those made by proponents of the academic reform model. These criticisms include claims that education courses are vapid, segmented, impractical, and directionless. The second section presents three reform proposals: the academic model; the research on teaching model, associated with the knowledge-base movement of the 1980s; and John Goodlad's collaborative model. The discussion of the models includes the extent to which these three proposals address the four common criticisms of professional study. The third section speculates about the kind of structural reform in teacher education that seems desirable and feasible in light of the characteristics and underlying assumptions of the three reform models. Whether a collaborative approach can bring together the forces that are currently divided is problematic, but, it is concluded, such a development may well be the best opportunity to retain and renew professional education for teachers. (Contains 46 references.) (LL)
Teachers’ Practice a Decade After an Extensive Professional Development Program in Science Education
Research in Science Education, 2016
Science teachers are expected to teach in innovative ways that are different from their long experience as students. Professional development programs are planned to help teachers' development, yet, there is little knowledge of the long-term effects of professional development programs (PDPs), and especially on actual practice. The purpose of this study is to gain a longterm perspective of the ways in which the process and outcomes of a reform-oriented, extended PDP are expressed in science teachers' practice. Data sources included interviews and documents. The study presents four case studies of the practices of junior high school science teachers (grades 7-9) in Israel, with respect to a past PDP in which they took part a decade ago. The cases are presented in pairs of a leader and a follower. Each case details the teacher's work context, sustained implementation, coherence of tools and approaches, and adaptations. All four teachers shared the view that scientific skills are important to their students as learners in a changing world. All four teachers adopted one or two major approaches, which were the PDP's main focus. In addition, the two leaders adopted two more approaches. The teachers were still using many strategies associated with the major foci of the PDP. The level of enactment and modifications of the strategies varied. Usability of innovations is discussed in relation to the teachers' context. We suggest that science teachers' professional development include the ability to adapt the innovation to their teaching context in order to sustain the changes for a long period of time.
For the last decade, researchers, practitioners, teachers, and scholars engaged themselves in trying to understand what the 21st century demands human being to exist and survive in the current global social system within which the education is formed and reformed. What is obvious is that the life experiences we commonly share are totally different in comparison to 10 years ago. The way we work, communicate with each other, spend time on leisure activities, the way we understand each other, and habits of living have been changed and still been changing. Technological, sociological, political, psychological, and educational changes altered people to hold different attitudes toward their environments. Change, in this context, is such a term that not only signifies the differentiation of daily habits of living but also connotes with another term for the last three decades, and that is globalization. A considerable body of evidence indicate that getting deeper understanding of the 21st century accompanies with unpacking the intense relationship between globalization, as the defining feature of 21st century, and education ). Yet, very few researchers have so far mentioned the strong bond between globalization, education, and critical thinking, and very little research proposes ways ensuring that globalization may not literally wipe away the educational conventions of societies. The current research aims at documenting the real challenge the 21st century created for the citizens of societies, necessary human skills to exist and survive in the system, the role of education and of specially teacher education in answering the human needs to cope with the demands of the current century, and possible practices that can create the reform in teacher education programs. This paper will mainly discuss the importance of the reform in teacher education programs, which theoretically will start a chain reaction through the different levels of educational systems and also propose an original and unique model of teacher-education as a reform strategy to meet the global demands. The practices that may possibly bring such a change into being in teacher education programs and the methodological aspects regarding the assessment procedures of any improvement regarding the reform movement will also be outlined in the current theoretical paper.
Panel on "Teacher Education Reform
1985
There has been a growing but begrUdging reabgnition that better teacher education is necessary both to carry out other pslucation-related reforms and to provide knowledge for shaping the Veform agenda. Without fundamental changes in the ways that teachers-teach, changes will not occur in the learning outcomes of a°p articular lesson or class Or school. Pervasive and widespread change in teacher education has already occurred. These changes include: raised admission criteria; more rigorous exit requirements; more. student teaching experience; increased use of standardized achievement testing; and greater reliance on technology. To continue the reform, groups interested in education reform-must-recognize-that .
Teaching and Teacher Education, 2000
The history of teacher education generally is reported as one of impossibility rather than possibility. This view is encouraged by lack of knowledge of past achievements. The little known but monumental project described in the eight volumes of the American Council on Education's Commission on Teacher Education (1939}1942) is reviewed in light of lessons learned about reform. Many of these lessons con"rm the value of recent work in teacher education that maximizes participation, builds partnerships between schools and higher education, and forms student cohorts as a means for overcoming program fragmentation. Additional results are identi"ed that deserve renewed consideration, results that emerged from projects that opened up possibilities for reform, including the value of child study as a form of professional development and as a means for educational renewal.