Page 15 - Innovative Professional Development Methods and Strategies for STEM Education

xiv

Preface

Professionaldevelopment(PD)isagrowingareawithinthefieldofSTEM.Thereisincreasingneedfor
STEMteachers’professionaldevelopmentactivitiesinhighereducationacrosstheworld.EffectivePD
thatservesforeffectiveteacherlearninginthelongtermrequirescognitive,knowledgeandpractical
developmentsimultaneously.Tothisend,constructive,socio-constructive,andinteractiveapproaches
toPDaredocumentedinthisbookinawaytoshowhowteachersdevelopandarelikelytochangefor
betterinstructionandstudentlearning.Inthissense,theprofessionaldevelopmentstrategiesthatteachers
areinvolvedinshouldreflectcognitive,constructive,interactive,thought-provokingandargumentative
aspectsofdevelopment.Themajormissionofthisbookistobringtogetherimplementationsofeffective
professionaldevelopmentstrategiesincludingthosethataretrainee-basedandprocess-oriented,which
extendstheamountsofcognitiveengagementandleadtoconcurrentcognitiveandbehavioralchangesin
teachersfromthefieldofSTEMeducation.However,theimpactofvarioustypesofPDactivitiesacross
theworldneedsmoreextensivelydocumentation.Thechaptersinthisbookfocusonthedescription,
implementationandimpactofPDstrategiesontheparticipatingteachersandhighlightseveralcharac-
teristicsoftraineeswhoareintrinsicallymotivatedtodevelopandchangepersonallyandprofessionally.

Teachers’ Professional Development and Learners

PDhasbeenoneofthecriticalareasineducationsectorinrelationtoteacherlearninganddevelop-
mentparticularlyathighereducationlevel.TheimportanceattachedtoPDincreasesasstudentsprofile
ischangingtowardsonethatencompassesmorein-depthcapabilitiesenabledthroughmultifaceted
educationaltoolsparticularlythankstothedevelopingdigitalfacilitiesconnectedthroughinformation
exchangeandsharingtechnology.Thisincrementalandexponentialchangeinstudentprofilesnecessitates
developmentalpedagogicalgrowthinteacherswhocanaddresstheseshiftedandincreasedstudents’
learningpotential.Thisbookshowcasestheseeffortsforteachers’professionaldevelopmentacrossthe
worldfromawiderangeofspecificcontexts.
Inlinewiththesedevelopmentonthepartofstudentprofiles,thenatureofPDisalsochangingfrom
topdownapproach,whichisexternallygovernedtobottomupapproach,whichisinternallyinitiatedor
individuallymanagedoveracourseofperiod.Thelatterisintroducedasamorecontemporaryapproach
inthatitleadstomoreself-controloverPDandmorerelevancetopersonalneedsforownlearningand
development.Thesetwobasicapproachesservefordifferentpurposes.Theformeraddressesshortterm