| Abstract | High school science teachers are a unique subset of teachers with distinctive PD needs in content, pedagogy, and technology, yet there is scant research about PD from the perspective of secondary science teachers. This qualitative research study used narrative research methods with grounded theory to explore how a group of seven high school science teachers perceive professional development (PD). The purpose of this research was to explore high school science teacher experiences with PD and ways teachers describe their priorities for teaching and learning in relation to their PD needs. The research explored how individuals remember, describe, and explain their experiences with PD as high school science teachers. The following research question framed the research in time and space: How do teachers from the same high school science department describe their experiences with PD? Data collection included pre- and post-interview surveys, a focus group, and observations of the teachers during their back-to-school week of PD. Narratives were written to describe the science teachers’ unique experiences with PD, along with their preferences for teaching and learning. It was important to “see and hear” the participants’ voices in the narratives and not lose sight of their individual interests, passions, and ideas.
Analysis of data revealed two major themes: the teachers’ perspectives on the teaching profession and their thoughts about PD. The profession of science teaching theme included why science is a unique subject, how the teachers relate to students, and how teachers find support in a difficult profession. The PD theme included science content and pedagogy, technology, environment, personal learning, and required training. The seven teachers in this research study implicitly described a top-down control of PD planning and decision-making. Teachers want to have more ownership in the PD process and more input in the planning of PD experiences. Science teachers deserve to have opportunities to reflect on their own professional learning needs and should be encouraged to advocate for choice and differentiation in PD. Dismantling the top-down power control of PD will require a collaboration between science education scholars, school leaders, and classroom teachers who are all treated with equal power and authority. This research study offers the potential to fill a void in scholarly literature describing high school science teachers’ experiences with PD and inform the field of science education about how science teachers negotiate PD as they move through their careers. The information gained from asking teachers about their perspectives on PD is of value to science teacher educators, campus and district administrators, science specialists, and even other science teachers. |
