Abstract
In this study, we examine professional development among twelve upper secondary physics teachers who participated in a design-based research (DBR) project. The teachers were involved in developing and testing learning materials in modern physics, and attended workshops and seminars with peers, disciplinary experts, and physics education researchers. Through a qualitative analysis of four focus group interviews, we found that the teachers had experienced professional development (PD) in content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge (PCK), gained confidence, and discovered a need for more PD regarding assessment of qualitative competence. The teachers talked about content knowledge as the most important knowledge and skills to be a good physics teacher, but also valued knowledge about student thinking and misconceptions. Content knowledge was mentioned as a prerequisite for PCK. Our results show how involving physics teachers in a DBR-project stimulated professional development in several areas and uncovered needs for continuing PD.
Highlights
High-quality science education is required to educate and engage a broad range of young people in science to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow
In this article we explore how involving physics teachers in physics education research and development offers an arena for professional development (PD) aiming to improve physics teaching
We have explored how physics teachers expressed their views on professional knowledge and skills, including how their knowledge and skills developed and how new needs for PD emerged through participating in a design-based research (DBR) project
Summary
High-quality science education is required to educate and engage a broad range of young people in science to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow. TIMSS Advanced 2015 (Grønmo, Hole, & Onstad, 2016) reported that Norwegian physics teachers were highly educated, with 86 % of TIMSS Advanced participants having had a physics teacher with a masters’ degree or higher. Most of these teachers held a masters’ degree in disciplinary physics. 534) teachers should be able to enhance their professional knowledge and skills through PD programmes involving them in educational research, and through developing school cultures for continued learning and sharing of knowledge and skills. In this article we explore how involving physics teachers in physics education research and development offers an arena for PD aiming to improve physics teaching
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