Page 10 - Innovative Professional Development Methods and Strategies for STEM Education



datawascollectedduring‘Side-by-Side’interactionwithscientists/mentorsduringasummercamp
experienceandhasimplicationsforclassroompracticeastheuseofmentorscanbestructuredtosupport
theinfusionofScienceasaHumanEndeavor.Asthestudents’experienceswithmentorscientistshelped
toshapetheirperceptionofthosewhopursuecareersinscienceandwhatitisthatscientistsdo,careful
considerationandpreparationofmentorswerecriticaltothesuccessoftheprogram,andsothispaper
alsoprovidessuggestionstohelphighlytrainedandhighlyeducatedscientistsinthesementorshiproles.

Chapter 3
PrimaryGradesTeachers’FidelityofTeachingPracticesduringMathematicsProfessional
Development......................................................................................................................................... 32
Christie S. Martin, University of South Carolina at Columbia, USA
Drew Polly, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, USA
Chuang Wang, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, USA
Richard G. Lambert, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, USA
David Pugalee, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, USA

This chapter shares the findings from a study that examined primary grades teachers’ fidelity of
implementation during a year-long professional development program on formative assessment in
mathematics.Theprojectprovidedover80hoursofprofessionaldevelopmenttoelementaryschoolteachers
regardingtheiruseofaninternet-basedformativeassessmentsystemfortheirstudents’mathematics
achievement.Thisstudyexaminedteachers’onlinereflectionsanddataintheinternet-basedassessment
systemtoidentifythemesthatleadtoeitherahighfidelityorlowfidelityofimplementation.Highfidelity
teachersexpressedbeliefsthatformativeassessmentsupportedtheirmathematicsteaching,improvedtheir
students’learning,andwasfeasibletocarryoutintheirclassrooms.Lowfidelityteachers’reflections
wereassociatedwithnumerousbarrierstoimplementationaswellasalackofbuy-inthattheformative
assessmentsystemcouldbenefittheirteaching.

Chapter 4
AParadigmShiftforTeachers’ProfessionalDevelopmentStructureinTurkey:Movingfrom
InstructiontoLearning.......................................................................................................................... 52
Murat Günel, TED University, Turkey
Melike Özer-Keskin, Gazi University, Turkey
Nilay Keskin-Samancı, Gazi University, Turkey

Thischapterconcernstheimportanceofin-servicetrainingprogrammesfortheprofessionaldevelopment
ofscienceteachers.Adescriptionwillbegivenofthegeneralstructureofin-servicetrainingactivities
inTurkeyandtheresultswillbepresentedofanin-servicetrainingproject,whichwasconductedas
partofathree-yearlongitudinalstudy.Withinthescopeoftheproject,anin-servicetrainingprogramme
forscienceteacherswasconductedbasedontheargument-basedinquiryapproachandthetheoretical
premisesuponwhichitisbuilt.Theprojectaimedtodirectscienceteacherstowardsstudent-centred
teaching.Thetrainingactivitiesfocusedonthescientificthinkingunderpinningtheteachers’professional
knowledgeandpractices,theirperceptionsonlearning,andtheirpedagogicalpracticesandepistemological
beliefs.Theextenttowhichtheseactivitiesaffectedclassroomapplicationsandlearningprocesseswas
investigatedandthefindingssuggestthattheyhadastatisticallysignificantimpactontheteachers’
pedagogicaldevelopmentandonthestudents’academicperformanceandthinkingskills.