1st Edition

Leadership and Professional Development in Science Education New Possibilities for Enhancing Teacher Learning

Edited By John Wallace, John Loughran Copyright 2003

    Leadership and Professional Development in Science Education provides invaluable insight into the role of science teachers as learners and thinkers of change processes. The fourteen chapters, by an eminent international team of science educators, explain and explore the relationship between professional development, teacher leadership and teacher learning. Research-based practical and theoretical exemplars reflect state of the art science teacher leadership in a broad range of international contexts.

    The book is divided into three parts, reflecting a multi-layered approach to teacher learning:

    * Personal initiatives in teacher learning, focusing on individual teachers;
    * Collegial initiatives in teacher learning, focusing on groups of teachers;
    * Systemic initiatives for teacher learning, focusing on system-wide issues.

    Student teachers and practising teachers will find the text highly valuable as they consider and review the challenges of teaching practice and ways of working with colleagues, while school leaders and policymakers will benefit from the book's insight into system-wide issues of professional development.

    1. Introduction J. Wallace Section 1. Personal initiatives in teacher learning 2. What is the balance? Transcending the dichotomy between teacher-centred and student centred science teaching G. Hoban 3. Teaching science in urban high schools K. Tobin 4. Leading by example within a collaborative staff S. M. Ritchie & D. L. Rigano 5. Challenges to practice, constraints on change: Managing innovation in a South African township school J. Clark Section 2. Collegial initiatives in teacher learning 6. The experience and challenges of teacher leadership in learning technology reform for science education: A tale of TESSI J. Mayer-Smith 7. Enhancing science teachers' pedagogical content knowledge through collegial interaction J. van Driel & D. Beijaard 8. Building a community of science learners through legitimate collegial particpation M. Fleer & T. Grace 9. Redefining leadership: Creating a place for heart and mind in science education reform S. E. Nichols & D. J. Tippins Section 3 Systematic initiatives for teacher learning 10. Leadership, professional development and science teaching: a systematic perspective R.W. Bybee, J. C. Powell, James B. Short & N.M. Landes 11. Science and technology teacher education: Some benchmarks and examples of their implementation C. vanden Borght 12. Systematic teacher development to enhance the use of argumentation in school science activities S. Simon, J. Osborne & S. Erduran 13. Building and sustaining communities of practice beyond the fold: Nurturing agency and action E. Pedretti, L. Bencze & D. Hodson 14. Conclusion John Loughran

    Biography

    John Wallace is Associate Professor at the Science and Mathematics Education Centre at Curtin University of Technology, Perth.

    John Loughran is Director of Higher Degrees by Research in the Faculty of Education at Monash University.