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Conceptual Framework
>>2. Deciding on the Purposes of the Professional
Development
2.1. Deepening Teachers' Content Knowledge
Mathematics and science content knowledge needs are most apparent in
the case of elementary teachers, since their pre-service preparation typically
includes very limited coursework in these areas. Accordingly, many professional
development programs for this target group aim at deepening teacher content
knowledge. Quite a few materials in the TE-MAT database are explicitly
designed for this purpose, including the broad-based
Understanding Primary Science: Ideas, Concepts, and Explorations
(Wenham, 1995);
Physics by Inquiry
(McDermott, 1996), which engages teachers in a carefully
sequenced exploration of key physics concepts; and
Teach Stat for Teachers
(UNC Mathematics & Science Education Network,
1996), which is designed to prepare elementary teachers to incorporate
statistics instruction into mathematics teaching and learning.
Liping Ma's Knowing
and Teaching Elementary Mathematics (1999) makes a compelling
case that teachers who themselves have only procedural knowledge of mathematics
will be unable to help their students develop conceptual understanding.
The book is not intended to be used directly with teachers, but rather
would be important reading for those charged with the mathematical development
of current or prospective teachers.
While generally considered relatively strong in content knowledge, secondary
teachers may also have major needs in this domain. In part, the needs
are a function of teacher assignment patterns, e.g., a person prepared
in biology may be asked to teach a section of chemistry or physics, and
professional development may be designed to assist teachers assigned outside
their area of specialty. What
is Light and How Do We Explain It? (Aldridge, 1996) is designed
to help the user better understand the phenomenon of light. Similarly,
Teaching
about Electrostatics (Morse, 1992) and other workshop guides developed
by the American Association of Physics Teachers are intended to help address
teachers' content needs. Teacher content needs may also result from changing
notions of the content students are expected to learn. For example, mathematics
teachers may not have had college coursework in probability and statistics
or discrete mathematics, topics that are now considered an important part
of the secondary mathematics curriculum.
Professional development providers who are aware of the sensitivity teachers
may have about weaknesses in their own content knowledge often design
professional development activities to address the goal of deepening content
knowledge via a "back door" approach. For example, a provider
may use research articles about learning and have the targeted teachers
explore their students' responses to instruction. This can increase awareness
of the students' learning needs, and also reveal to teachers their own
misconceptions. Some materials such as Teaching
Fractions and Ratios for Understanding (Lamon, 1999) and Fractions,
Decimals, Ratios, and Percents-Hard to Teach and Hard to Learn?
(Barnett et al., 1994) are particularly well-suited and, in fact, intend
to address teachers' content needs by focusing on instruction and students'
learning.
Materials developed for other purposes may also provide considerable
opportunity for work on teacher content knowledge. For example, while
Children's
Mathematics: Cognitively Guided Instruction (Carpenter et.al.,
1999), Number and Operations,
Part 1 & Part
2 (Schifter et.al., 1997), and Fostering
Algebraic Thinking (Driscoll, 1999) all focus direct attention
on student thinking, these materials promote consideration of content
knowledge of teachers as well as students.
Documents that focus on national standards may also be a rich resource for
enhancing teachers' content knowledge in science and mathematics. Science
for All Americans (American Association for Advancement of Science,
1990), for example, provides a wealth of engaging and relevant information,
including: key features about the nature of science, mathematics, and
technology; major concepts within each of these discipline areas; common
themes among these disciplines; significant examples of discoveries and
changes from an historical perspective; and important "habits of
mind."
Continue: 2.2.
Understanding Student Thinking and How Students Learn
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