Contribution of a Professional Development Program for Teachers’

Learning

Mónica Baptista; Ana Maria Freire

mlmbaptista@gmail.com; amvfreire@ie.ul.pt

Instituto de Educação

Universidade de Lisboa

To describe the contribution of Professional

Development Program for teachers’ learning

Study aim

PORTUGUESE CURRICULA FOR TEACHING SCIENCE AT MIDDLE

SCHOOL

Promotion STSE perspective

Constructivist focus, values the scientific inquiry approach

Preparation for public understanding of science and

scientific literacy

Assessment as learning

Galvão et al.(2002)

NATIONAL CURRICULA GOALS FOR SCIENCES

Development of competences in

Subject knowledge (substantive, procedural,

epistemological)

Reasoning

Communication skills

Scientific and social attitudesGalvão et al.(2002)

Teachers are often resistant to the implementation

of innovative ideas in order to adapt the Curricular

Orientation

Professional Development

Program

Collaborative work between Teachers and Researchers

Link Practice Link Practice and Theoryand Theory

Phase 1

Discussion about Curriculum Orientations, Science teaching and learning, formative assessmentPlanning and design of inquiry activities

Phase 1

Discussion about Curriculum Orientations, Science teaching and learning, formative assessmentPlanning and design of inquiry activities

Phase 3

Data Analysis Reflection about practice

Phase 3

Data Analysis Reflection about practice

Phase 2

Inquiry activities implementation in the classroom Data Collection

Phase 2

Inquiry activities implementation in the classroom Data Collection

Collaborative work between Teachers and Researchers

Written documents produced by students AudiotapesFocus Group Interviews

The activities were designed having in mind the

notion of situated learning practices and were based

on 5E learning cycle (Bybee & Landes, 1988).

The 5E learning cycle leads pupils through a

sequence consisting on the following phases:

engagement, exploration, explanation, elaboration

and evaluation.

ElectricityPeriodic Table

Chemical Reactions

Sound and Light

Astronomy Materials

MethodologyMethodology

ParticipantsSix Physics and Chemistry

teachers from schools within the

region of Lisbon. They were all

females and their ages range from

25 to 47 years old. Two of them

are Master’ students in Science

Education, one has a Master in

Science Education, and another

has a Master in Physics for

Teaching.

The methodology is qualitative, adopting an

interpretative orientation (Erickson, 1986)

MethodologyMethodology

Data Collection

Interactions among researchers and

teachers during the design of inquiry

activities, and interviews (Patton, 1990)

Results

Phase 1 Interpreting the curricular orientations

Appling the 5E’s Model

Planning open activities

Teachers’ role

Learners’ role

Teaching goals

Phase 2 Researching while teaching

Giving feedback

Controlling time

Organizing the classroom

Managing the teachers’ role

Managing the learners’ role

Phase 3 Reflecting concern their practice

Understanding themselves as learners

Results

It isn’t easy to adapt and to apply the curriculum. When we started the first activity, I read the curricular orientations and I thought that the most important were the concepts and facts. Then, I made another reading and our discussion allowed the reflection. Now, I can say that I changed my point of view and I learned to interpret the curricular orientations. I think that I understand the intention of the curriculum developers.

Interpreting the curricular Interpreting the curricular orientationsorientations

This teacher understood the importance of using

curriculum as a resource for her own design of inquiry

activities.

Phase 1

Results

During the implementation of inquiry activities I learned to manage my role, but I had to break my routine associated with traditional approach. I had to assume a different role and my pupils too. They had an active role. They planned experiences, draw conclusions in a collaborative work, they managed materials.

Managing the teachers and pupils roleManaging the teachers and pupils role

According to this teacher, she and her pupils modified

their role in the classroom. Pupils assumed the

responsibility for their own learn.

Phase 2

Results

I think I learned to reflect about my own practice. We collected data from the pupils [during the phase 2] and the data analysis allowed me to reflect about my practice, my pupils’ learning and their difficulties. I think this is very important because it allowed to do improvements. I think this is crucial for my professional development

Reflecting concern their practiceReflecting concern their practice

According to this teacher, she learned to reflect about

their own practice and this is very important for her

professional development

Phase 3

ConclusionsConclusions

They, in collaboration with researchers, interpreted

the National Curriculum and incorporated new

approaches into their teaching. They enjoyed the

discussions, grew in their own knowledge about

teaching and learning, and valued the opportunities for

reflection.

The study showed that teachers had learned about teaching science trough inquiry, researching while teaching, reflecting on their practice, taking responsibility about their own learning, understanding themselves as learners. Teachers had the opportunity to learn new ways of making instructional decisions.

ConclusionsConclusions

They went through several changes during the

design and implementation process. These teachers

seemed to value a more passive role for the teacher

when they used inquiry activities in their classroom.

According to them, during the inquiry activities,

pupils plan experiences, work collaboratively,

communicate with each other, defend them based on

the evidence and draw conclusions.

ConclusionsConclusions

It is necessary to increase the collaborative work

between researchers and schoolteachers, because

each partner offers a unique set of knowledge and

expertise that contributes successfully to the

improvement of teachers’ practices.