Page 18 - Innovative Professional Development Methods and Strategies for STEM Education

Preface

Inthenextchapter,VanRynevelddescribesaprofessionaldevelopmentprogrammethatinvolves
trainingeducatorstodevelopskillsbywhichtouseeducationaltechnologiesespeciallyforsuggesting
howtechnologycanbeintegratedeffectivelyinhighereducation.Chapter9byPolly,Martin,Wang,
LambertandPugaleedescribestwolearner-centeredPDprojectswhichaimtofacilitatemathematics
teachingpracticesofelementaryschoolteacherswithanemphasisontheimplicationsforPDprogram
designing,whichisbasedonlearner-centeredPDinmathematics.Chapter10byTopkayaandNişancı
involvesanESPcontextandidentifiesthetargetneedsofnon-nativescienceandmathematicsteachers
fortheuseofEnglishintheirprofessional/schoolsettings.Thedatatriangulatedthroughinterviewswith
stakeholdersintheprogrammerevealedacriticalneedfordevelopingtrainingaimingforproductive
skills.Inthenextchapter,Kırkgözdescribesanddiscussespotentialimpactofacollaborativeaction
researchprofessionaldevelopmentprogrammeonthechangeinthepre-serviceteachers’beliefsand
teachingpracticeswithspecialemphasisonimplicationsforschool-basedprofessionaldevelopment.In
chapter12,Rakıcıoğlu-SöylemezandAkayinvestigateprospectiveEFLteachers’perceptionsofusing
CALLintheclassroomtoidentifyperceivedbenefitsandchallengeswhichfacilitateandinhibitfuture
teachingpracticeswithreferencetotheimplicationsforprofessionaldevelopmentandEFLteacheredu-
cationprograms.Chapter13writtenbyMede-SabanandKeşli-Dollardescribesthepossibleeffectsof
reflection-basedteacherdevelopmentactivitiessuchasdiarykeepingonpre-serviceteachers’perceived
instructionalpractices,self-awarenessandstrategyimplementation.Inchapter14Rakıcıoğlu-Söylemez,
Söylemez,andYeşilbursaanalyzepre-serviceEFLteachers’metaphorstoexploretheirbeliefsabout
teachersandteachingandthepotentialsourcesofimpactintheprospectiveteachers’beliefsandprac-
ticesinordertodrawimplicationsforidentifyingareasofimprovementforprofessionaldevelopment.
Overall,thiseditedvolumebringstogetherdetaileddescriptionsandexperiencesofconstructive,
socio-constructiveandinteractiveapproachestoPDandoffersadiversecollectionofchaptersfrom
differentSTEMsubjectsincludingeducationandprovidespotentialimpactareasontraineesandim-
plicationsdrawnfortraineesandtrainers.Itismyhopethatacademicians,researchers,advanced-level
students(MAandPh.D),andtechnologydeveloperswillfindthisbookbeneficialandcontributingto
theirPDengagementinrelevanttopicsinSTEMsubjectsandeducation.

Kenan Dikilitaş
Hasan Kalyoncu University, Turkey

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