PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF SCIENCE TEACHERS: A COMPARATIVE STUDY

Abstract

Professional development of teachers is essential for successful education in every country due to the technological developments and changes in social and economic textures of the societies. Science achievement of the students may relate to the professional development of the teachers. Due to that fact science teachers need to improve themselves throughout their careers to update their knowledge, skills, attitudes and approaches in light of the development of new teaching techniques and objectives, new conditions and educational research. Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study 2015 (TIMSS) provided valuable data about professional development of science teachers. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to determine and compare the science teachers’ professional development affecting the 8th grade students’ science achievement in Singapore, Korea and Turkey by using the data from TIMSS 2015. The countries in this study have different teacher training and professional development approaches so the examining and comparing practices related to professional development of different countries may give a detailed picture of how beneficial their policies are. In this quantitative research the sample consisted of 5309 Korean, 4257 Singaporean, and 6079 Turkish students and 220 teachers from Korea and Turkey each and 334 from Singapore. It is aimed to find out the relationship between the participation of professional development of teachers and science achievement of the students. In addition to that, the determinants regard to science teachers' professional development affecting the science achievement of the students is determined and compared by using regression analysis. As a result of the study, relationship and the most significant determinant between science achievement and science teachers’ professional development in three countries can be determined.