DOCUMENT RESUME ED 395 763 SE 058 122 AUTHOR Bell, Beverley; Gilbert, John TITLE Teacher Development: A Model From Science Education. REPORT NO ISBN-0-7507-0-427-6 FUB DATE 96 NOTE 198p. AVAILABLE FROM Falmer Press, Taylor and Francis, Inc., Suite 101, 1900 Frost Road, Bristol, PA 19007 (paperback: ISBN-0-7507-0-427-6; clothbound: ISBN-0-7507-426-8). PUB TYPE Reports Research/Technical (143) EDRS PRICE MF01/PC08 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS Constructivism (Learning); Educational Strategies; Elementary Secondary Education; Foreign Countries; Higher Education; Knowledge Base for Teaching; Misconceptions; Models; *Professional Development; Science Curriculum; *Science Education; Science Teachers; *Teacher Education; Teaching Methods IDENTIFIERS *New Zealand ABSTRACT This book reports on the findings of a 3-year research project, Learning in Science, carried out in New Zealand. It documents the teacher development process for a group of science teachers as they used new teaching activities to take into account students' thinking, constructivist views of learning, and alternative conceptions. The professional growth teachers seek includes responses to such concerns as continuity, progression, differentiation, the inclusive curriculum, assessment, teaching and learning activities, curriculum science, and resources to support teaching and learning. The theme of this book is that teaching is practiced in a public arena and is a social activity governed by rules and norms. Chapter 1 outlines the concerns of teachers seeking professional development and their frustrations over wanting to change but not always achieving it. Chapter 2 describes a descriptive model of teacher development that arose from a 3-year research project and elaborates the key aspects of professional, personal, and social development. Chapter 3 discusses a social constructivist view as it relates to teacher development. Chapters 4 to 7 document, with the aid of illustrative data, the factors that helped the development of the teachers in the research project: feeling better about themselves as teachers; better learning; support, feedback, and reflection; knowing about the change process; and the use of anecdotes. Chapter 8 discusses the wider social influences on teaching and teacher development and the challenges of the educational contexts of teacher development. The final chapter highlights the challenges of the new model to policy makers, school management, teacher developers, and teachers. Contains 204 references.(JRH) *************************************************************,..........;:**** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made * * from the original document. *********************************************************************** Wee meNliti- air. se PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND U DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL Office caEducational Research andImonwernenl HAS B EN GRANTED BY OUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) This doCurnent has teen reproducedas E wer) Iron, the person or oroanaabon orivnating .1 0 Minorcnanoes nave been made toimprove reproduction!lushly TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES Po11111 ofeteerOropinionsstated in Ilustiocu ment doMt necessarily represent on.cial INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) OEPr Dosthon or oobcy I I k BEST COPY AVAILABLE Teacher Development Teacher Development: A Model from Science Education Beverley Bell and John Gilbert Falmer Press (A member of the Taylor & Francis Group) LondonWashington, D.C. UK The Palmer Press, 4 John Street, London WC1N 2ET USA The Palmer Press, Taylor & Francis Inc., 1900 Frost Road,Suite 101, Bristol, PA 19007 'D B. Bell and J. Gilbert, 1996 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may he reproduced,stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means,electronic, mechanical, photocopying. recording or otherwise, without permissionin writing from the Publisher. First published in 1996 A catalogue record for this book is available from theBritish library Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data areavailable on request ISBN 0 7507 0 426 8 cased ISBN 0 7507 0 427 6 papet Jacket design by Caroline Archer Typeset in 10/12 pt Times by Graphicraft Typesetters Ltd., Hong Kong. Printed in Great Britain by Biddies Ltd., Guildford and King'sLynn on paper which has a specified pH value onfinal paper manufacture of not less than 7.5 and is therefore 'acid free'. Contents Acknowledgments vi 1 Teachers Seeking Teacher Development 1 2 A Model for Achieving Teacher Development 15 3 Views of Learning to Underpin Teacher Development 38 4'Feeling Better about Myself as a Teacher' and 'Better Learning' 70 5 Feedback, Support and Reflection 6Managing the Change Process 110 7 Using Anecdotes 122 8 Contemporary Contexts for Teacher Development 141 9Challenges 161 References 174 Index 185 V Acknowledgments We wish to acknowledge and thank the following people foi their help and support in the writing of this book: The teachers who were involved in the Learning in Science Project (Teacher Development) who took the risk to change their teaching and to talk so openly and honestly about it. The New Zealand Ministry of Education for funding the Learning in Sci- ence Project (Teacher Development) and the other Learning in Science Projects over the previous ten years, thus enabiing a sustained research programme. The Centre for Science, Mathematics and Technology Education Research staff, associate staff and students who have discussed the research findings with us. In particular, we would like to thank Andy Bcgg, Fred Biddulph, Malcolm Carr, Margaret Carr, Chu Meiying, Wendy Drewery, Mike Forret, Jane Gilbert, Allan Harvey, Hassan Hameed. Alister Jones, Elizabeth McKinley, Vicki Mather, Abdul Muhsin Mohamed. and Pauline Waiti. The British Council, and in particular Francis King, fin- funding our travel so we could meet to work together on the book and the University of Waikato Research Committee for funding the research equipment. 1 Teachers Seeking Teacher Development Teachers want the best for their students. In particular, they want their students to have the best possible learning opportunities and outcomes. Often in their own time, teachers seek new teaching ideas, new resources and equipment to improve the learning of their students. They seek to improve their teaching skills, their knowledge about ihe subjects they are teaching, their relationships with the students and their management of the schools in which they work. After completing the initial teacher education required in most societies, teachers continue to learn about teaching and learning throughout their professional lives. Learning is at the heart of teacher development. This book is about teachers' learning and about responding to the challenges that face the provision of teacher development in today's and tomorrow's world. Teacher development, including the ongoing learning about how to teach and to support student learning, is seen as the key to being a successful teacher. Whilst different teachers seek different kinds of teacher development within science education today, the professional growth they seek includes responses to such concerns as continuity, progression, differentiation, the inclusive curriculum, assessment, teaching and learning activities. curriculum science that is relevant, meaningful, and useful to the students, and resources to support teaching and learning. All these concerns are united by the teachers' agenda of improving the learning of students. Those concerns, which are related centrally to this book, are now discussed. Concerns of Teachers 'Continuity' of learning as students move between the different structural sectors of schooling has been an ongoing concern for many teachers. It requires the sys- tematic coordination of the professional activities of the teachers on both sides of the (often) four strtriural divides: kindergarten--primary, primarycompulsory sec- ondary, compulsory secondaryoptional (senior) secondary, and senior secondary tertiary. It involves the implementation of the official curriculum written for students of 5-17 years in education systems divided on the basis of age. Whilst such a curriculum is a simple concept, at a practical level its implementation is difficult because of the different priorities and tasks of the teachers involved. There are subtle but real differences between many teachers in the various sectors in terms of their professional commitment with respect to thc status of the subject-matter taught, the purposes of education, and the natures of teaching and learning. Teacher Development Such differences may make effective communication awkward initially but teachers are working to enhance continuity. In in-service contexts, some teachers are seeking help with curriculum planning across sectors, visiting each other's classrooms, and sharing professional knowledge in groups representing more than one sector. For example, in-serice courses attended by both primary and second- ary teachers of science may help primary teachers to learn some science from the secondary teachers and the secondary teachers to learn about teaching and learning approaches from the primary teachers. Likewise, university staff may seek infor- mation and assistance from senior secondary teachers of science about what first- year university students have been taught. '°rogression' is another concern for some teachers seeking professional devel- opmea.t. Progression with respect to a curriculum is that characteristic which makes steadily greater