Collaborative Professional Development and Curriculum Enactment: Teacher Reflection to Inform Inquiry-Based Discussions in High School Science Classrooms.

Abstract

Professional development for practicing science teachers has been a goal in education for the last two decades. Studies have shown that the quality of teacher instruction may be linked to teacher participation and involvement in professional development programs (Fishman, Marx, Best, & Tal, 2003). Furthermore, reflection during professional development has been emphasized as an important aspect of teacher learning (Birman, Desimone, Porter, & Garet, 2000; Dinkleman, 2003). However, we have yet to fully understand how teacher reflection and the components of professional development can be linked to changes in classroom instruction (Fendler, 2003). This study incorporated a variety of resources, including AAAS criteria, research-based discussion strategies, educative curriculum materials, a common curriculum, and in particular, a committed researcher, video artifacts and science education research articles, to provide teachers with opportunities to engage in an iterative process of reflection and instruction to bring about instructional change; a process of self-examination and experimentation that was fostered in a small group, collaborative, and sustained professional development program. I also show that the role of the researcher is a key element in connecting professional development and classroom instruction. This study used interviews, professional development workshops, and teacher enactment to show that the design of professional development can foster a teacher learning community of reflective practice that promotes instructional change in inquiry-based science when resources are used to support and complement each other.