More than ever, K-12 science educators in the U.S. are encouraged to take a more rigorous approach with their teaching and PD. Prior to 2001, literature on PD for K-12 teachers has mainly focused on PD as a key determinant in improving teacher satisfaction, with the belief that teaching practices and student performance will improve as a result (Cohen & Hill, 2000; Darling-Hammond & McLaughlin, 1995; Elmore, 1997). The recent push for teacher development was fueled by the 2001 No Child Left Behind Act, which mandated that teachers receive quality PD to supplement their practice. As of 2008, 48 out of 50 U.S. states require six hours of PD every five years before renewing their teaching licenses, and most states require 120 hours of PD over a 5-year period (Yoon et al, 2008; Loeb, Miller, and Strunk, 2009).
Reiterated by the National Research Council (NRC), effective instruction is paramount in promoting students’ …show more content…
In “What Makes Professional Development Effective,” Garet (2001) argued that the more common approaches to PD, which include improving content knowledge and teaching practices, are becoming less popular and effective. PD that includes mentoring and study groups is becoming the norm for change in teacher practice (Garet, 2001; Ingersoll and Strong, 2011). In support of this argument, in “Teacher Professional Development: It’s Not an Event, It’s a Process,” Harwell (2003) argued that “professional development in which participants are given the opportunity to learn new classroom practices in similar contexts that those practices will be used is far more effective than more traditional methods of PD (Harwell, 2003, page3). Using a less process-oriented approach, Yoon et al. (2008) identified five specific criteria that constitute “high quality”
Reiterated by the National Research Council (NRC), effective instruction is paramount in promoting students’ …show more content…
In “What Makes Professional Development Effective,” Garet (2001) argued that the more common approaches to PD, which include improving content knowledge and teaching practices, are becoming less popular and effective. PD that includes mentoring and study groups is becoming the norm for change in teacher practice (Garet, 2001; Ingersoll and Strong, 2011). In support of this argument, in “Teacher Professional Development: It’s Not an Event, It’s a Process,” Harwell (2003) argued that “professional development in which participants are given the opportunity to learn new classroom practices in similar contexts that those practices will be used is far more effective than more traditional methods of PD (Harwell, 2003, page3). Using a less process-oriented approach, Yoon et al. (2008) identified five specific criteria that constitute “high quality”