Making a case for improving practice: What Can be learned about high-quality science teaching from teacher-produced cases?

Abstract

This chapter draws on data from cases written by science teachers (primary and secondary), who participated in a year-long professional development program developed and conducted by science education staff at Monash University and the Catholic Education Office Melbourne. The program was designed to stimulate new understandings of their science teaching practice among the participants, and to thus improve students' science learning. As part of the program each teacher developed a case (an extended vignette) intended to illustrate, through an actual classroom situation, an aspect of that teacher's professional learning about science teaching. The cases used in the chapter come from the four cohorts of teachers who participated in the program over the period 2004-2008. The chapter will present insights into the ways in which teachers characterise their professional knowledge and practice through thematic analysis of the 80 (approx) cases. © 2011 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.