Changes In High School Chemistry Teacher Beliefs and Practice after a Professional Development Program

<p>The researcher proposed that when professional development modeled the inquiry-approach and provided time for peer-observed enactment and reflection, it would produce change in in-service chemistry teachers' beliefs and practices. Case study methodology and triangulation were used to collect a variety of in-depth data on teachers' beliefs and practice including interviews, journals, and classroom videotape and participant-observation by the researcher to address the research questions:</p><p>1. How does the use of an inquiry approach with in-service chemistry teachers in a professional development result in their re-examining their pedagogical theories?</p><p>2. How does the reflection on the inquiry approach and practice teaching result in changes in these teachers' pedagogical theories?</p><p>3. How do the changes in these teachers' pedagogical theories translate into their classroom practice?</p><p>Semi-structured interview data found 7 of 9 in-service chemistry teachers showed evidence of change in their beliefs over a year-long professional development. Reflection data from the participating teachers showed they believed that modeled inquiry placing them in the student-learner role, that included collaboration, that had peer-observed enactments and reflection, and that established a community of learners helped them to re-examine their pedagogical theories and develop more inquiry-based beliefs. RTOP data revealed that 5 of 9 in-service teachers translated their beliefs into inquiry practice in their classrooms.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Campus Access Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Instruction and Teacher Education

Year

2010

Author dc:creator

• Spraker, Ralph Everett

Contributors dc:contributor

• Christine Lotter

• Education
• Secondary Education and Teaching
• Teacher Education and Professional Development
• In-service Teachers
• Inquiry-approach
• Pedagocical Content Knowledge
• Professional Development
• Reflection
• Science Education

Statement dc:rights

• © 2010, Ralph Everett Spraker

Repository record dc:identifier

https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/etd/410

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:scholarcommons.sc.edu:etd-1411