Offering modest supports to extend professional development outcomes and enhance elementary science teaching

ABSTRACT

Given the time and resources invested in professional development, it makes sense to find ways to extend positive outcomes over the long term. However, there is little research investigating what elements and structures help to support teachers once professional development ends. This research is based on an intervention of modest, targeted forms of support for elementary teachers who previously participated in one of four science-focused professional development programmes. The study examines the supports offered to teachers, the extent to which teachers used the available supports, and the associated challenges and reasons for not using supports. The data sources include a needs assessment, semi-structured interviews, feedback surveys, and usage data. Findings indicate that teachers preferred face-to-face supports over electronic supports. They viewed face-to-face supports as more beneficial for learning, collaborating with other teachers, and building relationships. The differing contexts at the teachers’ schools, teachers’ comfort with technology, and variations in resources also influenced which supports teachers opted to use. Providing a menu of options for follow-up support may be a useful approach to accommodating a range of teacher needs and preferences.

KEYWORDS:

• Teacher professional development
• sustainability
• science education
• elementary education
• teacher support

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This material is based on work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. DRL1620979. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.