Page 213 - Innovative Professional Development Methods and Strategies for STEM Education

Impact of a Professional Development Programme

Collaborative Action Research: A model of action research, in which a university teacher educator
or a researcher collaborates with practicing teachers or pre-service trainee teachers to provide support
for teachers or teacher candidates’ professional development.
Dilemma: It is a situation in which a decision has to be made between two alternatives, as in the
case of whether to use L1 or L2 as the medium of instruction. Both alternatives in a dilemma typically
contain aspects that are not acceptable.
Mentor: An individual who creates a working relationship with students to improve the quality of
student learning.
Practicum: A course that offers trainee teachers the opportunity to apply academic theory and
acquired skills from their teacher education programmes in a real school setting. It is supervised by a
school-based mentor.
Reflection: A process in which a teacher or a trainee expresses, in writing or in oral, beliefs and
ideas about an experience, and think about what s/he would ideally do in a similar situation. Reflection
can be recorded through journals, diaries, and be elicited through interviews.
Trainee Teacher: A prospective teacher or a teacher candidate who is undergoing training at schools
for the teaching profession. A trainee teacher is supervised by a school-based mentor and a supervising
teacher, in this particular case, one from the university.

194