Document Type
Article
Publication Title
The Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-based Learning
Publisher
Purdue University Press
Publication Date
2008
Volume
2
Issue
2
Disciplines
Environmental Sciences
Abstract
In th is study we measured changes in science teachers' conceptua I science u ndersta nd ing (content knowledge) and pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) while participating in a problem-based learning (PBL) model of professional development. Teachers participated in a two-week long workshop followed by nine monthly meetings during one academic year that focused on deepening their content understanding and their teaching practices. We analyzed teachers' short writings and concept map depictions of their understanding, and found teachers significantly developed components of pedagogical content knowledge and clinical reasoning, such as knowledge of assessment. Gains on conceptual understanding of science, however, were limited to one group of teachers. We conclude that this PBL approach to professional development advanced components of science teachers' strategic pedagogical content knowledge and discuss the ongoing challenges in measuring changes in teachers'understanding in the context of an evolving PBL model of professional development.
Keywords
Problem Based Learning, Professional Development, Concept Maps, PCK, Teacher Learning
DOI
10.7771/1541-5015.1081
Recommended Citation
Weizman, Ayelet; Covitt, Beth A.; Koehler, Matthew J.; Lundeberg, Mary A.; Oslund, Joy A.; Low, Mark R.; Eberhardt, Janet; and Urban-Lurain, Mark, "Measuring Teachers' Learning from a Problem-Based Learning Approach to Professional Development in Science Education" (2008). Environmental Studies Faculty Publications. 3.
https://scholarworks.umt.edu/environstudies_pubs/3