Page 17 - Innovative Professional Development Methods and Strategies for STEM Education

Preface

setofstandardsshowsthatprofessionaldevelopmentisasocialactivitythatinvolvesfullparticipation
andconsiderationofawiderangeofpartiesfromresearcherstofamiliesofstudents.Itisthisintegrity
thatcouldleadtogreaterlearningonthepartofthepersonwhoisdoingprofessionaldevelopment.
PDisnomoreanexceptionbutanecessity.However,itshouldbewell-resourcedandsupportedin
termsofmoney,time,incentive,andsupport.Itistheinstitutionthatcouldprovidealltheseconditions
byofferingfinanceandguidance.Therefore,thecontextwherePDiscarriedoutplaysamajorroleinthe
continuationofprofessionallearningopportunities.PDcouldempowerandinfluenceteachers,learners,
andtheschoolspositivelywhenteachers’effortsareappreciatedandconsideredinfuturedecisionsof
curriculum,syllabusandappointment,whichcouldleadtomoremotivationtodoprofessionallearning
onthepartofteachers.

Overview of Chapters

ThefutureofPDseemsbrighterthanitistodayparticularlybecausesomanyresearchstudiesarebeing
carriedoutanddisseminatedwhichrichlydelineateandcriticallyevaluateandinsightfullysynthesize
theprofessionaldevelopmentactivitiesinawiderangeofdisciplines.Thechaptersinthisbookare
alsoaddingtothatincreasingnumberofpublication.Thisbookisacollectionofstudiescarriedoutin
diversecontextsandcontentsincludingscience,math,education,engineering,technology.Italsoen-
compassestheoreticalresearchstudiesfrompre-serviceandin-servicelevels,whichhelpsseethestatus
ofprofessionaldevelopmentfromdifferentlayersofeducationforprofessionalcommunity.Professional
developmentofSTEMteachersarealsodiscussedandpresentedwithspecialemphasisontheoretical
perspectivesunderlyingthesePDinitiatives.
Inthefirstchapter,Smith,Fulton,Irons,andSanderselaborateonthemajorrolethatpractice-base
doctorates,anewapproachtopromotingpracticethroughprojectwork,playindevelopingexperienced
practitioners’professionalpracticeinSTEMsubjects.Inthesecondchapter,Farland-Smithdetailshow
tomentorgirlsinsciencedrawingoneightcasestudieswhichinvolvecontentspecialistsandmiddle
schoolgirlsinordertoprovideimplicationsfordiverserolesofteachersandscientistsinlearningand
teachingscience.Inthethirdchapter,Martin,Polly,Wang,Lambert,andPugaleedescribeanddiscussa
mathematicsprofessionaldevelopmentinordertoreportthepotentialimpactofprimarygradesteachers’
onlinereflectionsovertheinternet-basedformativeassessmentsystemontheirfidelityofimplemen-
tation.Inthenextchapter,Günel,Özer-KeskinandKeskin-Samancıdelineateaparadigmshiftinthe
structureofin-servicescienceandtechnologyteachers’professionaldevelopmentinTurkeybyexplicitly
focusingonhowPDhasbeenmovingfrominstructiontolearningthroughprocess-basedapproaches
withaviewtoaffectingteacherlearning.Inthefifthchapter,Rogers,Winship,andSundrawonsocial
constructivistandinteractiveapproachesanddescribeanauthenticandsustainablefour-pillarprofessional
developmentmodelwhichprovidessystematicsupportforSTEMpre-serviceteacherstopromoteK-12
students’authenticSTEMlearningexperience.Inthefollowingchapter,DickensonandMontgomery
describesthecriticalroleofteacherprofessionaldevelopmentinmathematicsindevelopingrelevant
instructionalpracticesandteachers’leadershipskills.Inchapter7,AteşÖzdemirandDikilitaşdescribe
apedagogicaltechnology-orientedprofessionaldevelopmentprogrammeconductedwithagroupofin-
serviceteachersfromdifferentsubjectsandreportshortandlongtermimpactthattheprogrammehad
ontheparticipatingteachers’integrationoftechnologyintotheirclassroomsandinstitutions.

xvi