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Conceptual Framework
4. Adapting Professional Development Programs to the Particular Context
Context matters in designing and implementing effective professional development
just as much as it does in classroom instruction. How teachers view a
professional development opportunity may be based in large measure on their
prior experiences. Professional development designers working with teachers who
have participated in numerous poorly designed professional development programs
face a different challenge than those in districts with a history of aligning
professional development with teachers' needs and concerns. Similarly, state
and district incentive policies, union policies, and extent of administrative
support may all influence teacher willingness to participate in professional
development.
Context will also influence the effectiveness of professional development in
improving mathematics and science teaching. Increasing teacher knowledge and
skills may have little impact on classroom practice if the "system" in which
they teach prevents them from making changes in their curriculum and
instruction. For example, if the district assessment does not include
probability and statistics, teachers may not be willing to teach those topics
at the expense of other topics that are tested. Similarly, teachers will be
less willing to use science activities if their schools do not provide
equipment and supplies they need or if they anticipate that their principals
will not understand why their classrooms are a bit noisier than they used to
be.
Designing effective professional development, then, means understanding not only
teachers' learning needs, but also the students and communities they serve, and
the factors that impact teachers' lives. To be most effective, professional
development providers need to anticipate the barriers teachers will face, and
make sure there is a plan for addressing, avoiding or getting around any
obstacles in their path. Creating
a Climate for Change…Math Leads the Way (Corporation for Public
Broadcasting, 1994) includes a videotape and discussion guide to help teachers,
administrators, parents and school board members think about mathematics
education reform. Blueprints
for Reform: Science, Technology and Mathematics Education (AAAS,
1998) focuses on understanding education as a system, offering recommendations
for reform targeted toward school, district and community components of the
system.
Science for All Children: A
Guide to Improving Elementary Science Education in Your School District
(National Science Resources Center, 1997) provides a model for bringing about
district-wide elementary science reform, including selection of instructional
materials, professional development, establishing and maintaining a science
materials center, assessment strategies, and building community partnerships.
Other materials included in the TE-MAT database can help professional
development designers attend to context, for example, focusing on integrating
language arts and science/mathematics instruction, thus capitalizing on
policymakers' particular interest in literacy. Materials in this category
includeMath and Literature
(Burns, 1992), Math through
Children's Literature: Making the NCTM Standards Come Alive (Braddom,
Hall and Taylor, 1993), Science
and Language Links: Classroom Implications (Scott, 1993),
Reading the Environment: Children's Literature in the Science Curriculum
(Cerullo, 1997), and Science
and Writing Connections (Freedman, 1999).
Continue:
5. Selecting Appropriate Professional Development Strategies and Materials
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