Professional Development for Primary Teachers in Science and Technology

This book presents the research output of the Dutch project VTB-Pro, an internationally-oriented project that aimed at providing primary school teachers with the knowledge, abilities and attitudes that are necessary to implement science and technology education in their classes. An introductory chapter by Wynne Harlen and Pierre Lena positions this project in the international context. From the Foreword by Dr. Michel Rocard: I have been pleased to discover the VTB-Pro three-years project carried in the Netherlands (Broadening technological education in primary school). Focusing on professional development of teachers and presenting first hand testimonies and research, the present book demonstrates how to deal with this issue, so critical for a renewed pedagogy. With proper methods, the knowledge of science, the interest in science and technology, the pedagogical skills can all be improved among teachers who often have no or little affection for science.

This book presents the research output of the Dutch project VTB-Pro, an internationally-oriented project that aimed at providing primary school teachers with the knowledge, abilities and attitudes that are necessary to implement science and technology education in their classes. An introductory chapter by Wynne Harlen and Pierre Lena positions this project in the international context. From the Foreword by Dr. Michel Rocard: I have been pleased to discover the VTB-Pro three-years project carried in the Netherlands (Broadening technological education in primary school). Focusing on professional development of teachers and presenting first hand testimonies and research, the present book demonstrates how to deal with this issue, so critical for a renewed pedagogy. With proper methods, the knowledge of science, the interest in science and technology, the pedagogical skills can all be improved among teachers who often have no or little affection for science.

Foreword; Preface; 1. Introduction to the theme; Part I. Knowledge and skills in science and technology professional development; 2. Introduction to Part I; 3. Science and technology education for the future; 4. What everyone should know about science and technology; 5. A science and technology knowledge base for primary teachers; 6. “Having eyes, giving eyes, getting eyes”: learning to see and act in science and technology professional development; Part II. Professional development and attitudes towards science and technology; 7. Introduction to Part II; 8. Primary teachers’ attitudes towards science and technology; 9. Explicit and implicit measures of teacher attitudes toward science and technology; 10. Understanding the physical world: teacher and pupil attitudes towards science and technology; 11. Preservice primary teachers’ image of and attitudes towards science and technology; Part III. Professional development for primary science and technology pedagogy; 12. Introduction to Part III; 13. Concept learning in professional development; 14. Preparing teachers to teach robotics in primary school; 15. High quality nteraction in primary science and technology education; 16. Kindergarten talk about science and technology; Part IV. Impacts of professional development; 17. Introduction to Part IV; 18. Characteristics of effective professional development; 19. Transparency in storytelling: an analysis of primary school teachers’ exchanges of their experiences with science and technology education; 20. Effects of a digital learning environment on knowledge and attitude of student teachers; References; Index