Professional Development Standards

Professional Development Standards
(National Science Education Standards)

The activities and information included in this short course have been developed to meet the National Science Education Standards - Professional Development Standards listed below. The standards listed here only include the ones that this short course helps to fulfill. For more information about these standards please visit the National Science Education Standards page here.

Professional Development Standard A
Professional development for teachers of science requires learning essential science content through the perspectives and methods of inquiry. Science learning experiences for teachers must:

Address issues, events, problems, or topics significant in science and of interest to participants.
Introduce teachers to scientific literature, media, and technological resources that expand their science knowledge and their ability to access further knowledge.
Build on the teacher's current science understanding, ability, and attitudes.

Professional Development Standard B
Professional development for teachers of science requires integrating knowledge of science, learning, pedagogy, and students; it also requires applying that knowledge to science teaching. Learning experiences for teachers of science must:

Connect and integrate all pertinent aspects of science and science education.
Address teachers' needs as learners and build on their current knowledge of science content, teaching, and learning.

Professional Development Standard C
Professional development for teachers of science requires building understanding and ability for lifelong learning. Professional development activities must:

Provide regular, frequent opportunities for individual and collegial examination and reflection on classroom and institutional practice.
Provide opportunities to know and have access to existing research and experiential knowledge.
Provide opportunities to learn and use the skills of research to generate new knowledge about science and the teaching and learning of science.

Professional Development Standard D
Professional development programs for teachers of science must be coherent and integrated. Quality preservice and inservice programs are characterized by:

Clear, shared goals based on a vision of science learning, teaching, and teacher development congruent with the National Science Education Standards.
Integration and coordination of the program components so that understanding and ability can be built over time, reinforced continuously, and practiced in a variety of situations.
Options that recognize the developmental nature of teacher professional growth and individual and group interests, as well as the needs of teachers who have varying degrees of experience, professional expertise, and proficiency.

Source: National Science Education Standards (Professional Development Standards)