ERIC Number: EJ883544
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2009
Pages: 12
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1756-1108
EISSN: N/A
Comparing Outcomes from Two Case Studies on Chemistry Teachers' Readiness to Change
Laius, Anne; Kask, Klaara; Rannikmae, Miia
Chemistry Education Research and Practice, v10 n2 p142-153 2009
This study reports the outcomes of two in-service courses, which targeted the development of chemistry teachers' skills to promote inquiry or reasoning and creative thinking skills among their students. Sixteen chemistry and four biology teachers participated in two intervention studies, both designed according to the philosophy of scientific and technological literacy (STL), and each ran for 8 months, but used different types of supplementary teaching materials. Data were collected through questionnaires, interviews and teacher-created teaching materials. Categories of teachers' readiness to change were created in each case and implications for teaching were discussed. In both cases it was found that changing the classroom environment towards student-centeredness was the hardest task. All teachers appreciated real life scenario-type beginning of lessons, which according to activity theory met the need-motive initiation for undertaking activity by students. One third of the Estonian chemistry teachers involved were not ready for change; the major factors holding them back related to the curriculum and external services constraints. (Contains 4 tables.)
Descriptors: Chemistry, Creative Thinking, Scientific Literacy, Classroom Environment, Technological Literacy, Thinking Skills, Foreign Countries, Science Teachers, Intervention, Task Analysis, Data Collection, Teacher Education, Feedback (Response)
Royal Society of Chemistry. Thomas Graham House, Science Park, Milton Road, Cambridge, CB4 0WF, UK. Tel: +44-1223 420066; Fax: +44-1223 423623; e-mail: cerp@rsc.org; Web site: http://www.rsc.org/cerp
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Estonia
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A