Research Efforts
We conducted a study during Spring 2005 to examine, on a state-wide basis, the professional development (PD) experiences, needs, expectations, and constraints of middle and high school science and mathematics teachers in the state of Missouri. We examined similarities and differences between science and mathematics teachers and among teachers from urban, suburban and rural schools. The findings from this study suggest that mathematics and science teachers participate in a minimal amount of PD and that a number of factors contribute to this reality. Furthermore, science and mathematics teachers do not experience effective learning environments described by Bransford, Brown & Cocking (2000) and there is a mismatch between teachers' PD needs and experiences.
  • The research questions that guided the study were:
  • How do science and mathematics teachers perceive their PD experiences?
  • What do they perceive as their PD needs?
  • What are their expectations for effective PD?
  • What constrains them from participating in PD?
  • How do the experiences, needs, expectations, or constraints differ for science and mathematics teachers and across subgroups?
[Survey Responses] [Poster Presentation of Results]

The results from this study as well as others (Weiss, Banilower, McMahon, & Smith, 2001) indicate that there is a mismatch between teachers' perceptions of their PD needs and experiences. In order to organize successful PD that improves teaching practice in large numbers of classrooms (Corcoran, 1995; Elmore, 2002), understanding and addressing teacher PD expectations, experiences, needs, and constraints is essential. This suggests state agencies, organizations, and school districts responsible for funding, designing and facilitating PD must:

  1. Seek input from teachers regarding PD through surveys, focus groups, or other mechanisms.
  2. Work together to consider the recommendations that have been identified in the PD research and policy literature (e.g., Ball & Cohen,1999; Corcoran, 1995; National Staff Development Council, 2005).
  3. Invest more resources in preparing and supporting PD facilitators, especially those who have successful classroom experience.
  4. Consider the PD needs of all teachers, especially those who do not have regular access to effective PD opportunities.

In Missouri, 3,293 of the 7,150 mathematics and science teachers (46%) teach in counties with populations of less than 100,000. Structures need to be created to support the professional growth of this large, isolated group of teachers. Most U.S. school districts do not have the necessary resources to design, implement, and fund the PD that is required to improve the teaching and learning of science and mathematics. Therefore, it is necessary for most school districts to draw on and coordinate with other state resources such as government agencies and higher education institutions to develop a coherent PD system. This would require designing and facilitating PD in regions throughout a state in coordination with school districts so that teachers can be released from teaching responsibilities in order to participate. For example, an ongoing series of PD could be designed to meet the needs of high school biology teachers within a certain region of a state. This focused PD would have the potential to address the four perspectives of effective learning environments identified by Bransford, Brown & Cocking (2000), teachers' expectations for effective PD identified in this study, and prior recommendations identified in the PD research and policy literature.

Ball, D. L., & Cohen, D. K. (1999). Developing practice, developing practitioners: Toward a practice-based theory of professional education. In L. Darling-Hammond & G. Sykes (Eds.), Teaching as the learning profession: Handbook of policy and practice (pp.3-32). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Bransford, J., Brown, A., & Cocking, R. (2000). How People Learn. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.

Corcoran, T. B. (1995). Transforming professional development for teachers: A guide for state policy makers. Washington, DC: American Educational Research Association.

Elmore, R. F. (2002). Bridging the gap between standards and achievement: The imperative for professional development in education, Washington, DC: The Albert Shanker Institute.

National Staff Development Council. (2005). A study of professional development for public school educators in West Virginia. Retrieved March 3, 2005, from http://www.nsdc.org/library/policy/West%20Virginia%20Study.pdf.

Pareja, E., Musikul, K., Ritzka, G., Abell, S., Chval, K. (2006, April). Science and mathematics teachers' experiences, needs, and expectations regarding professional development. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the National Association of Research on Science Teaching, San Francisco, CA.

Weiss, I., Banilower, E. R., McMahon, K. C., & Smith, P. S. (2001). Report of the 2000 survey of science and mathematics education. Chapel Hill, NC: Horizon Research.
MU Science Education Center college of Education University of Missouri-Columbia