Abstract
This paper reports an empirical study of teacher development in the process of implementing an integrated science curriculum in a junior high school in China. Six science teachers with different subject backgrounds were invited to participate in this study. A pragmatic model of teacher learning that includes both cognitive and situated-learning perspectives was adopted with a focus on the professional, social and personal aspects of science teacher development. The data were collected from multiple sources, including in-depth interviews, direct classroom observations and participation in science teachers’ regular working meetings. The data analysis shows that the participants experienced various changes in the following aspects during the implementation of the integrated science curriculum: (1) updating science content knowledge; (2) reshaping the conception of science teaching; (3) establishing relationship with students; and (4) enhancing collegial interactions. The last part of this paper discusses these finding in the context of the literature on integrated science curricula and science teacher development.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
Notes
In China, In China, for a long time, geography has been offered as a separate subject in the stage of junior high school, including natural geography and human geography in terms of its subject matter knowledge. When the integrated science was initiated, the part of natural geography (roughly equivalent to the Earth and Space Science) was incorporated into the new curriculum. And most of geography teachers have been involved in teaching the new integrated science at school level.
References
Akkerman, S. F., & Bakker, A. (2011). Boundary crossing and boundary objects. Review of Educational Research, 81(2), 132–169.
Anderson, R. D., & Mitchener, C. P. (1994). Research on science teacher education. In D. L. Gabel (Ed.), Handbook of research on science teaching and learning (pp. 3–44). New York: Macmillan.
Avraamidou, L. (2014). Studying science teacher identity: current insights and future research directions. Studies in Science Education, 50, 145–179.
Ball, D. L., & Cohen, D. K. (1999). Developing practice, developing practitioners. In L. Darling-Hammond & G. Sykes (Eds.), Teaching as the learning profession. Handbook of policy and practice (pp. 3–32). San Fransisco: Jossey-Bass.
Beane, J. A. (2000). Curriculum integration: designing the core of democratic education. New York: Teachers College Press.
Beijaard, D., Meijer, P. C., & Verloop, N. (2004). Reconsidering research on teachers’ professional identity. Teaching and Teacher Education, 20, 107–128.
Bell, B. (1998). Teacher development in science education. In B. J. Fraser & K. J. Tobin (Eds.), International handbook of science education (pp. 681–693). Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers.
Bell, B., & Gilbert, J. (1996). Teacher development: a model from science education. London: RoutledgeFalmer.
Blum, A. (1991). Integrated science studies. In A. Lewy (Ed.), The international encyclopedia of curriculum (pp. 163–168). New York: Pergamon Press.
Bolam, R. (2000). Emerging policy trends: some implications for continuing professional development. Journal of In-service Education, 26(2), 267–280.
Borko, H. (2004). Professional development and teacher learning: mapping the terrain. Educational Researcher, 33, 3–15.
Charmaz, K. (2006). Constructing grounded theory: a practical guide through qualitative analysis. London: Sage Publications.
Clark, D. C., & Clark, S. N. (1994). Meeting the needs of young adolescents. Schools in the Middle, 4(1), 4–7.
Coffield, F. (2000). Introduction: a critical analysis of the concept of a learning society. In F. Coffield (Ed.), Differing visions of a learning society (pp. 1–38). Bristol: Policy Press.
Crane, S. (1991). Integrated science in a restructured high school. Educational Leadership, 49(2), 39–41.
Creswell, J. W. (2013). Qualitative inquiry research design: choosing among five approaches (3rd edition). London: SAGE.
Davis, K. S. (2001). “Change is hard”: what science teachers are telling us about reform and teacher learning of innovative practices. Science Education, 87, 3–30.
Ding, B. (2015). Science teacher education in mainland China. In R. Gunstone (Ed.), Encyclopedia of science education (pp. 917–924). New York: Springer.
Franser, C., Kennedy, A., Reid, L., & Mckinney, S. (2007). Teachers’ continuing professional development: contested concepts, understandings and models. Journal of In-service Education, 33, 153–169.
Fullan, M. (1993). Change forces: probing the depths of educational reform. London: Falmer.
Goodson, I. (1993). School subjects and curriculum change: Studies in curriculum history (3rd ed.). Washington, DC: Falmer Press.
Hargreaves, A. (1994). Changing teachers, changing times: teachers’ work and culture in the postmodernage. London: Cassell.
Harrell, P. E. (2010). Teaching an integrated science curriculum: linking teacher knowledge and teaching assignments. Issues in Teacher Education, 19(1), 145–165.
Hoban, G. (2002). Teaching learning for educational change. Buckingham. UK: Open University Press.
Hobbs, L. (2012). Examining the aesthetic dimensions of teaching: relationships between teacher knowledge, identity and passion. Teaching and Teacher Education, 28, 718–727.
Hobbs, L. (2013). Teaching 'out-of-field' as a boundary-crossing event: factors shaping teacher identity. International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, 11(2), 271–297.
Little, J. W. (1993). Professional community in comprehensive high schools: the two worlds of academic and vocational teachers. In J. W. Little & M. W. McLaughlin (Eds.), Teachers’ work: Individuals, colleagues, and contexts (pp. 137–163). New York: Teachers College Press.
Luft, J. A., & Hewson, P. W. (2014). Research on teacher professional development programs in science. In S. K. Abell & N. Lederman (Eds.), Handbook of research in science education (pp. 889–909). NY: Routledge.
Maxwell, J. A. (2013). Qualitative research design: an interactive approach (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Ministry of Education (MoE). (2001). Science curriculum standards (7-9grades) of full-time compulsory education (trial version). Beijing: Beijing Normal University (in Chinese).
Ministry of Education (MoE). (2011). Science curriculum standards of compulsory education (2011 version). Beijing: Beijing Normal University (in Chinese).
National Research Council (NRC). (1996). National science education standards. Washington, DC: Author.
National Research Council (NRC). (2012). A science framework for K-12 science education: practices, crosscutting concepts, and core ideas. In Washington. D.C.: The National Academies Press.
Nordine, J., Krajcik, J., & Fortus, D. (2011). Transforming energy instruction in middle school to support integrated understanding and future learning. Science Education, 95(4), 670–699.
Rogers, G. (2011). Learning-to-learn and learning-to-teach: the impact of disciplinary subject study on student-teachers’ professional identity. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 43, 249–268.
Ross, A., & Hogaboam-Gray, A. (1998). Integrated mathematics, science, and technology: effects on students. International Journal of Science Education, 20(9), 1119–1135.
Simon, S., & Campbell, S. (2012). Teacher learning and professional development in science education. In B. J. Fraser, T. Tobin, & C. McRobbie (Eds.), Second international handbook of science education (pp. 307–321). Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Springer.
Strauss, A., & Corbin, J. (1998). Basics of qualitative research (2nd Ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Sun, D., Wang, Z. H., Xie, W. T., & Boon, C. C. (2014). Status of integrated science instruction in junior secondary schools of China: an exploratory study. International Journal of Science Education, 36(5), 808–838.
van Driel, J. H., Beijaard, D., & Verloop, N. (2001). Professional development and reform in science education: the role of teachers' practical knowledge. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 38(2), 137–158.
Venville, G. J., Wallace, J., Rennie, L. J., & Malone, J. A. (2002). Curriculum integration: eroding the high ground of science as a school subject. Studies in Science Education, 37(1), 43–83.
Wallace, J., & Loughran, L. (2012). Science teaching learning. In B. J. Fraser, T. Tobin, & C. McRobbie (Eds.), Second international handbook of science education (pp. 295–306). Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Springer.
Wei, B. (2009). In search of meaningful integration: the experiences of developing integrated science curricula in junior secondary schools in China. International Journal of Science Education, 31(2), 259–277.
Wei, B. (2015). Integrated science. In: R. Gunstone (ed.), Encyclopedia of science education (pp. 527–529). New York: Springer.
Yoon, S. Y., Dyehouse, M., Lucietto, A. M., Diefes-Dux, H. A., & Capobianco, B. M. (2014). The effects of integrated science, technology, and engineering education on elementary students’ knowledge and identity development. School Science and Mathematics, 114(8), 380–391.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Wei, B. An Exploratory Study of Teacher Development in the Implementation of Integrated Science Curriculum. Res Sci Educ 50, 2189–2206 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11165-018-9768-x
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11165-018-9768-x