Evidence that Teacher Interactions with Pedagogical Contexts Facilitate Chemistry-Content Learning in K-8 Professional Development

Source: Journal of Science Teacher Education, Volume 23, Issue 5, pp 481-502. (August 2012).

This qualitative case study examined K-8 in-service teachers’ interactions with pedagogical contexts in a chemistry professional development (PD) course.

Findings indicate that teachers’:
(1) contribution of teaching experiences helped create a collegial learning environment,

(2) sharing of concerns from classroom teaching directed content discussion and
learning objectives, and

(3) reflection on teacher and learner roles in the PD classroom led to persistence in chemistry-content learning.