Abstract
This chapter provides a brief synopsis of past and present teacher preparation and credentialing practices along with common professional development (PD) programs emphasized in the United States and their influence in shaping instructional activities that have dominated classroom instruction. Research studies reveal that the PD of teachers has been costly yet ineffective. Thus, a consensus view of effective PD based on the learning sciences has been formed and is being promoted by the US Department of Education, among others. The latest view of effective PD may still fall short if we do not address the underlying constructs that determine a teacher’s PPATs such as their mental model of how students learn, their implicit theories of intelligence, and the forms of knowledge they employ. Addressing these constructs has the potential to create conceptual change in teachers, adjusting their PPATs to be more learner centered, and supporting the use of formative assessment practices. In addition to addressing these constructs, a new vision should be cast based on what students need to know and be able to do in a knowledge economy and teachers need to be trained and prepared to equip them accordingly.
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Box, C. (2019). The Professional Development of Teachers. In: Formative Assessment in United States Classrooms. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-03092-6_5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-03092-6_5
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