Collaborative Partnerships : A Model for Science Teacher Education and Professional Development

Abstract

This paper proposes a collaborative partnership between practicing and pre-service teachers as a model for implementing science teacher education and professional development. This model provides a structure within which partnerships will work collaboratively to plan, implement and reflect on a series of Science lessons in cycles of actionreflection adapted from Korthagen's (2001) ALACT model. Issues within Science education, teacher professional development and teacher education are considered in the development of the model which attempts to deepen constructivist approaches to teachers' professional learning. It attempts to address issues with teacher professional development in the science area and improve professional experience practice for pre-service teachers. The nexus between theory and practice is the focus of the model which hopes to inform both teacher education and professional development for science teachers in the primary sector.

University-school partnerships: pre-service and in-service teachers working together to teach primary science.

“…In conclusion, the triadic partnership approach can promote increased motivation, confidence and awareness of science pedagogies and lead to professional benefits for the inservice teacher participants and these findings are consistent with earlier research (Jones, 2008;Kenny, 2009;Murphy et al, 2008).…”

“…This is consistent with other research on partnership based programs which reported professional development for in-service teachers who participate in them (Jones, 2008;Murphy et al, 2008). A range of data was collected from principals and teachers who participated in the project and this data has been analysed in relation to the following research question: What perceived benefits did the participating colleague primary teachers and principals associated with their participation in the triadic partnership approach to teaching science in their classrooms?…”

“…It was also a very valuable thing for the pre-service teacher to do as part of her own self-assessment. (Teacher-Prue) The majority of the in-service teachers who took part in the program reported that they had benefitted professionally from working with the pre-service teachers, which is consistent with findings of other collaborative partnership approaches (Jones, 2008;Murphy et al, 2008).…”

A Partnership Based Approach to Professional Learning: Pre-Service and In-Service Teachers Working Together to Teach Primary Science

“…The effects on the confidence of the pre-service teachers, reported in detail in XXXX (2009), were also consistent with other examples of collaborative professional learning experiences in science (Jones, 2008;Murphy, Beggs, Carlisle & Greenwood, 2008). The question of whether involvement in the project actually led to any sustained long-term change in practice in terms of science teaching will be the subject of further research.…”

Astronomical Concepts and Events Awareness for Young Children

“…The activities were developed collaboratively by the R/F and the teachers. The advantage of this process was that it provided opportunities for the partners to bring their expertise to this collaboration (see Jones, 2008). The initial idea was to motivate the teachers by making them members of an action research group, meaningfully engaging them in the development of the activities and the instruction material (Kallery & Fragonikolaki, 2007).…”