Supporting science teachers teaching outside specialism: teachers’ views of a professional development programme

ABSTRACT

In Malta, most science teachers are likely to have a teaching degree level qualification in one science subject. When teaching science in the first two years of secondary school they will be teaching outside their area of science specialism, that is teaching a subject/s that was not studied at degree or Advanced level. A study was conducted to investigate how a group of science teachers, who are non-chemistry specialists, could be supported to teach chemistry topics by participating in a year-long professional development programme. Data were gathered through individual and focus group interviews. This paper focuses on the teachers’ views of this programme and how it affected their views of teaching chemistry. After conducting experiments, discussing and planning lessons within a community of learners teachers felt better prepared to teach chemistry. This enabled them to change their views and expand their identity as a science teacher.

KEYWORDS:

• Teaching outside specialism
• teaching chemistry
• professional development
• teacher learning

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Additional information

Funding

The research work disclosed in this publication is partially funded by the Malta Government Scholarship Scheme grant.

Notes on contributors

Doreen Mizzi

Doreen Mizzi is a head of department for chemistry in church schools within the Secretariat for Catholic Education. She is also a visiting lecturer at the University of Malta. Her doctoral work focused on identifying the challenges that science teachers encounter when teaching outside their science specialism and on designing professional learning opportunities to support them in their everyday practice.