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The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a Local Systemic Change (LSC) initiative (N ¼ 216) at Year 2 in a 5-year plan. Key questions were: What is the extent of school and teacher involvement?; What is the impact on teacher preparedness, attitudes, and beliefs?; and What is the extent of institutionalization? The model of professional development used shared leadership (Lead Teachers & Study Groups) along with workshops in inquiry, content, and assessment. All teachers averaged 81 hours of participation by the end of Year 2; LTs averaged 161 hours. Longitudinal and episodic data were collected using multiple instruments, including Horizon Research Teacher Survey (Baseline and Year 2), SG and Lead Teacher surveys (Year 1 and Year 2), Context Beliefs About Teaching Science and Classroom Observation Protocol (Year 2). Gains in teachers' practices, beliefs, and professional culture (collegiality and department chair support) were measured at significance levels of .05. The results indicate that sustained and intensive professional development influences individuals and school culture. ß 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 42: 3-24, 2005Successful models of professional development in science education generally rely on evidence of change in individual teacher's knowledge, beliefs, and practices. The literature base has documented that high-quality, intensive, and sustained workshops, seminars, and courses promote reform-oriented growth in beliefs, pedagogical content knowledge, and disciplinary content knowledge among teachers. As important as these changes have been in refining the research community's understanding of the multiple dimensions of effective teaching and learning, it is time to move forward into the next generation of professional development, where the focus of change is extended to the teacher and to the teacher's professional community.

The purpose of this study was to develop an innovative addition to the curriculum to help preservice teachers cultivate an understanding of poverty. Using technology, an interdisciplinary team created two online learning modules entitled Teacher as Learning Facilitator and Teacher as Anthropologist. Preservice teachers valued the newly developed modules and the activities that accompanied them. In addition, preservice teachers demonstrated their knowledge and awareness of poverty as it relates to teaching and learning practices. Some preservice teachers viewed poverty as an asset but others viewed it as a deficit. A discussion of lessons learned about collaboration and curriculum development concludes the paper.

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This paper explores the effectiveness of a technology education professional development (TEPD) program and factors impeding the implementation of such a program within the context of the Republic of Benin (West Africa). Professional development (PD) programs do not always take into account the specific disciplinary content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge teachers should learn to be able to reach the PD goals. The goals of the study were to identify effective design elements of TEPD for developing nations and to enhance secondary technology education teaching in Benin, as well as in similar developing countries. Within the context of Benin technology education, four all-day sessions of the TEPD were carried out with 51 secondary school science teachers. Qualitative data, comprising teachers' after-session journals, after-session evaluation sheets, class observations and interviews with teachers and students, were collected during the PD program. Results indicated that participants' technology education content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge were enhanced and that technology education lessons from the PD program were incorporated into teachers' classroom practices.