Archived Information
State of the Art: Science - September 1993
Appropriate staff development brings lasting improvements in
science teaching.
Staff development programs that result in meaningful changes in teachers' behaviors have certain common characteristics. Among other things, they allow for intense study of and engagement with the new knowledge or skill over time, with time to practice and work through with others the problems of implementation. This combination of theory and application, time to reflect and practice, self study and cooperative learning, rarely is found in the more traditional inservice workshops, college courses...
(Loucks-Horsley and associates, 1989)
The teacher is key to improved instruction. Since teaching for understanding demands a role that the teacher's preservice training often did not model, opportunities for inservice training are essential in transforming science instruction. In addition, teachers are often minimally prepared in science content, particularly elementary teachers who must teach all subjects. While very capable, teachers often have not had a college program that provided a basic background in the physical, life, and earth sciences and the ways to teach science to promote understanding. Elementary school teachers do not need to be experts in every aspect of science; in fact most scientists are experts in only a narrow specialty. But they do need a general background in science content.
It is most important that the inservice instructors model the teaching strategies they wish teachers to use. In addition, time for the teachers to practice new teaching behavior and continue to work with mentor colleagues is also a part of a good inservice program. Further, teachers will need to have regular opportunitites to plan and collaborate with their fellow teachers at professional meetings such as national and state science teachers' meetings.
Teaching for understanding takes not only time to learn but also support from other colleagues and the school administration. Meaningful change in teacher behavior may take years. Teachers experimenting with new strategies and programs need the time and resources to try new techniques to determine what works best. They also need to exchange ideas. In short, they need to use the same methods to learn to teach science as the students need to learn it.
The most effective staff development activities:
- are continuous and on-going;
- model the constructivist approach to teaching that teachers will use with their students;
- provide opportunities for teachers to examine and reflect on their present practices and to work with colleagues to develop and practice new approaches; and
- provide good support structures within the group, among the group and the instructors, and from the school.
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[The teacher's role is changing to facilitate student learning, while the student becomes a more active learner.]
![[Table of Contents]](/icons/up.gif)
[Assessment must be more closely aligned with the goals of science instruction.]