Skip to main content

SCIENCE TEACHERS’ TYPOLOGY OF CPD ACTIVITIES: A SOCIO-CONSTRUCTIVIST PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

This study presents a typology of continuing professional development (CPD) activities and provides a discussion related to each. The typology includes 2 main themes, which investigate the various types of activities and the content presented in CPD programmes. The study used qualitative methods (open-ended questionnaires in addition to semi-structured interviews) with Saudi Arabian science teachers. The main theoretical framework for this study centres on the socio-constructivist theory of learning. Discussion of the findings leads to a depiction of what science teachers ‘need’ to learn and ‘how’ they want to learn. The aim of this study is to provide a framework for socio-constructivist science teacher professional development based on an attempt to understand how teachers learn effectively in CPD programmes and what science teachers need to learn.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.

REFERENCES

  • Aldahmash, A. & Alshamrani, S. (2012). The nature of Saudi science teacher practices of the scientific inquiry: Supervisors’ perspectives. Journal of Educational Sciences, 13, 439–462. Bahrain (In Arabic).

    Google Scholar 

  • Alshamrani, S. (2012). Priorities of research in science education in Saudi Arabia. Journal of Educational Sciences and Islamic Studies, Saudi Arabia, 24(1), 199–128.

  • Alshayea, F. & Abdulhameed, A. (2011). Mathematics and natural sciences project: Hopes and ambitions. Paper presented at the 15th Annual conference for the Association of Science Education, Egypt (In Arabic).

  • American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). (1993). Benchmarks for science literacy. Washington, D.C.: American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

    Google Scholar 

  • Appleton, K., Ginns, I. & Watters, J. (2000). The development of pre-service elementary science teacher education in Australia. In S. Abel (Ed.), Science teacher education: An international perspective (pp. 9–29). Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Kluwer Academic Publishers.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Austin, Z., Marini, A. & Glover, N. (2005). Continuous professional development: A qualitative study of pharmacists’ attitudes, behaviors, and preferences in Orientario Canada. Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 69(1), 25–33.

  • Avalos, B. (2011). Teacher professional development in teaching and teacher education over ten years. Teaching and Teacher Education, 27, 10–20.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bandura, A. (1986). Social foundations of thought and action: A social cognitive theory. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

    Google Scholar 

  • Borko, H. (2004). Professional development and teacher learning: Mapping the terrain. Educational Researcher, 33(8), 3–15.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Boyle, B., Lamprianou & Boyle (2005). A longitudinal study of teacher change: What makes professional development effective? Report of the second year of the study. School Effectiveness and School Improvement, 16(1), 1–17.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bransford, J., Brown, A. & Cocking, R. (2000). How people learn. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Braun, V. & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chval, K., Abell, S., Enrique, P., Musikul, K. & Ritza, G. (2008). Science and mathematics teachers’ experiences, needs and expectations regarding professional development. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science & Technology Education, 4(1), 31–43.

    Google Scholar 

  • Clarke, D. & Hollingsworth, H. (2002). Elaborating a model of teacher professional growth. Teacher and Teacher Education, 18(8), 947–967.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cordingley, P., Bell, M., Thomason, S. & Firth, A. (2005). The impact of collaborative continuing professional development (CPD) on classroom teaching and learning. Review: How do collaborative and sustained CPD and sustained but not collaborative CPD affect teaching and learning? London: EPPI-Centre.

    Google Scholar 

  • Crawford, B. (2007). Learning to teach science as inquiry in the rough and tumble of practice. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 44(4), 613–642.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dalgarno, N. & Colgan, L. (2007). Supporting novice elementary mathematics teachers’ induction in professional communities and providing innovative forms of pedagogical content knowledge development through information and communication technology. Teaching and Teacher Education, 23(7), 1051–1065.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Darling-Hammond, L. (1997). The right to learn: A blueprint for creating schools that work. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

    Google Scholar 

  • Desimone, L., Porter, A., Garet, M., Yoon, K. & Birman, B. (2002). Effects of professional development on teachers’ instruction: Results from a three-year longitudinal study. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 242, 81–112.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dillon, J., Osborne, J., Fairbrother, R. & Kurina, L. (2000). A study into the professional views and needs of science teachers in primary and secondary schools in England. London: Council for Science and Technology.

    Google Scholar 

  • Galanouli, D. (2010). School-based professional development: A report for the general teaching council in Northern Ireland. Retrieved May 21, 2013, from: http://dera.ioe.ac.uk/11060/1/School_Based_Report_April2010.pdf.

  • Garet, M., Porter, A., Desimone, L., Birman, B. & Yoon, K. (2001). What makes professional development effective? Results from a national sample of teachers. American Educational Research Journal, 38(4), 915–945.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Goos, M. (2008). Towards a sociocultural framework for understanding the work of mathematics teacher. Retrieved April 16, 2013, from: http://www.merga.net.au/documents/RP252008.pdf.

  • Hargreaves, A. (2003). Teaching in the knowledge society: Education in the age of insecurity. Buckingham: Open University.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jones, M. & Eick, C. (2007). Implementing inquiry kit curriculum: Obstacles, adaptations, and practical knowledge development in two middle school science teachers. Science Education, 91, 492–513.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kennedy, A. (2005). Models of continuing professional development: A framework for analysis. Journal of In-service Education, 31(2), 235–250.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kimble, L., Yager, R. & Yager, S. (2006). Success of a professional-development model in assisting teachers to change their teaching to match the more emphasis conditions urged in the National Science Education Standards. Journal of Science Teacher Education, 17(3), 309–322.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kreber, C. (2006). Developing the scholarship of teaching through transformative learning. Journal of Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 6(1), 88–109.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lave, J. & Wenger, E. (1991). Situated learning: Legitimate peripheral participation. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Lieberman, A. & Pointer Mace, D. (2008). Teacher learning: The key to education reform. Journal of Teacher Education, 59(3), 226–234.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Loucks-Horsley, S., Love, N., Stiles, K., Mundry, S. & Hewson, P. (2003). Designing professional development for teachers of science and mathematics (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mansour, N., Alshamrani, S., Aldahmash, A., & Alqudah, B. (2013). Saudi Arabian science teachers and supervisors’ views of professional development needs. Eurasian Journal of Educational Research, 51, 1–27.

  • Mansour, N., EL-Deghaidy, H., Alshmrani, S., & Aldahmash, A. (2014). Rethinking the theory and practice of continuing professional development: Science teachers’ perspectives. Research in Science Education. doi: 10.1007/s11165-014-9409-y.

  • National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education, NCATE. (2001). Standards for professional development schools: The standard of excellence in teacher preparation. Retrieved April 16, 2013, from: http://www.ncate.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=P2KEH2wR4Xs%3d&tabid=107.

  • National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education, NCATE. (2002). Professional standards for the accreditation of schools, colleges, and departments of education. Washington, D.C.: University of Virginia.

    Google Scholar 

  • National Research Council, NRC. (1996). National science education standards. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Peers, C., Diezmann, C. & Watters, J. (2003). Supports and concerns for teacher professional growth during the implementation of a science curriculum innovation. Research in Science Education, 33, 89–110.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pharr, W., Starr, C. & Edwards, C. (2009). Paired professional development: A methodology for continued professional development in computer science. Proceeding of the 2009 ACM SIGSE annual conference on innovation and technology in computer science education. In ITICSE, 218 – 222.

  • Porter, A., Garet, M., Desimone, L. & Birman, B. (2003). Providing effective professional development: Lessons from the Eisenhower program. Science Educator, 12(1), 23–40.

    Google Scholar 

  • Putnam, R. & Borko, H. (2000). What do new views of knowledge and thinking have to say about research on teacher learning? Educational Researcher, 29(1), 4–15.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Quick, H., Holtzman, D. & Chaney, K. (2009). Professional development and instructional practice: Conceptions and evidence of effectiveness. Journal of Education for Students Placed at Risk, 14(1), 45–71.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rafea, A. & Aloaisheq, N. (2010). The project of mathematics and natural sciences: translated and adapted curricula. A paper presented at the “The Project of Mathematics and Natural Sciences: translated and adapted curricula”. King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

  • Richardson, V. (1997). Constructivist teaching and teacher education: Theory and practice. In V. Richardson (Ed.), Constructivist teacher education: Building new understandings (pp. 3–14). Washington, DC: Falmer Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Robinson, M. & McMillan, W. (2006). Who teaches the teachers? Identity, discourse and policy in teacher education. Teaching and Teacher Education, 22, 327–336.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Robson, J. (2006). Teacher professionalism in further and higher education: Changes to culture and practice. Abingdon: Routledge.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Schreurs, B. & De Laat, M. (2012). Work-based networked learning: A bottom-up approach to stimulate the professional development of teachers. Proceedings of the 8th International conference on Networked Learning 2012.

  • Silverman, D. (2000). Doing qualitative research: A practical handbook. London: Sage.

  • Sleegers, P., Bolhuis, S. & Geijsel, F. (2005). School improvement within a knowledge economy: Fostering professional learning from a multidimensional perspective. In N. Bascia, A. Cumming, A. Datnow, K. Leithwood & D. Livingstone (Eds.), International handbook of educational policy (pp. 527–543). Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Van Driel, J. & Berry, A. (2012). Teacher professional development focusing on pedagogical content knowledge. Educational Researcher, 41(1), 26–28.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological process. Harvard University Press.

  • Weiss, I., Banilower, E., McMahon, K. & Smith, P. (2001). Report of the 2000 survey of science and mathematics education. Chapel Hill, NC: Horizon Research.

  • Welmond, M. (2002). Globalization viewed from the periphery: The dynamics of teacher identity in the Republic of Benin. Comparative Education Review, 46(1), 37–65.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Heba EL-Deghaidy.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

EL-Deghaidy, H., Mansour, N. & Alshamrani, S. SCIENCE TEACHERS’ TYPOLOGY OF CPD ACTIVITIES: A SOCIO-CONSTRUCTIVIST PERSPECTIVE. Int J of Sci and Math Educ 13, 1539–1566 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10763-014-9560-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10763-014-9560-y

Key words