Miriam Carmeli

Evidence for Teachers’ Change While Participating in a Continuous Professional Development Programme and Implementing the Inquiry Approach in the Chemistry Laboratory

In this study our goal was to better understand the development of chemistry teachers who are involved in a continuous professional development (CPD) programme, focusing on using the inquiry approach in the chemistry classroom‐laboratory, followed by protocols assembled in a portfolio that can be used to demonstrate evidence‐based practice in chemistry teaching in the inquiry laboratory. Fourteen experienced chemistry teachers participated in a workshop, coordinated by three CPD providers from the Department of Science Teaching, at the Weizmann Institute of Science. The meetings, lasting about three hours, were conducted once a month. Of the fourteen teachers, some were videotaped while conducting inquiry‐type experiments in their classes, and were interviewed immediately afterwards. Based on the findings, we conclude that the CPD programme contributed to the professional development of the teachers. The teachers became more reflective and more aware of their practice. In addition, we observed a change in their pedagogical knowledge and content knowledge regarding the inquiry teaching. Moreover, their anxiety concerning the implementation of the programme was reduced significantly throughout the year.

The Professional Development of High School Chemistry Coordinators.

The implementation of new content and pedagogical standards in science education necessitates intensive, long-term professional development of science teachers. In this paper, we describe the rationale and structure of a comprehensive and intensive professional development program of school-based leaders, namely school chemistry coordinators. The year-long program was designed so that the chemistry teachers who enrolled in the program were able to develop in three interrelated aspects: content knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge, and leadership ability. Several strategies for the development of these aspects were adopted from Loucks-Horsley, Hewson, Love, & Stiles (1998). The evaluation of the program focused on the changes that participating teachers underwent regarding their personal beliefs and their functioning as school chemistry coordinators in their schools.

The Work of Providers of Professional Development for Teachers of Mathematics: Two Case Studies of Experienced Practitioners

This paper is an initial investigation into the practice of providers of professional development for teachers of mathematics. The study examines the work of two providers of professional development for teachers of mathematics. Both provided professional development while working with teachers on implementing a new mathematics curriculum for seventh grade. Although their work conditions were quite different from each other the study reveals that there were similar characteristics in their practices. The most salient ones were acting out lessons, analyzing principles of the new curriculum, encouraging the teachers to explicate their concerns, and asking teachers to solve concrete practical problems related to the reservations they have about specific components of the new curriculum. The role of a program that prepared the two participants to be providers of professional development for teachers is also discussed.

An Assessment of Cognitive Changes in Socially Disadvantaged Children as a Result of a One-to-One Tutoring Program

AbstractCognitive changes in socially disadvantaged children in Grades 5 to 7 who were participating in a one-to-one tutoring program in Israel were assessed. Tutors were university students who received a partial tuition rebate if they met their child twice a week in 2-hour sessions over a 7-month period. The progress of a sample of tutored children was compared to that of a sample of nontutored children in mathematics, reading (Hebrew), and English. The tutored children were not found to be at an advantage on the tests although other data from tutors, parents, children, and teachers indicated that the project should be having an impact on academic achievement.

A Follow-Up Study of Disadvantaged Children Two Years after Being Tutored

AbstractDisadvantaged children in (Grades 7 to II, who had participated 2 years earlier in a tutorial program, were assessed for their location in the school system, their aspirations, school self-concept, and school attitudes. Comparisons were made to a comparable control group. Findings indicated that tutored children tended to study in more conventional settings, possessed higher aspirations, and reported doing homework more regularly. No differences were revealed on self-concept, satisfaction with school, level of taking matriculation examinations.

Consultant as Co‐teacher: an intervention for improving mathematics instruction

ABSTRACT A form of co‐teaching was utilized as one mode of intervention in a project to improve mathematics instruction in 6 secondary schools in Israeli development towns. This approach was employed with teachers either relatively new to teaching Grades 10‐12 or lacking experience applying updated instructional materials. Three somewhat different patterns of co‐teaching emerged which facilitated coordination, cooperation, and communication between regular classroom teachers and co‐teaching consultants. Reactions of pupils, teachers, and consultants suggest that, on the whole, this was a viable approach to staff development through which instructional strategies can be demonstrated to teachers and their involvement in reflection and planned instruction increased.

Teacher Credentials and Other Variables as Predictors of the Mathematics Classroom Learning Environment

AbstractThe learning environment in 80 junior high school mathematics classrooms in Israel was examined by means of a multifaceted questionnaire, administered to the pupils, that focused on five aspects of the environment: difficulty, speed, satisfaction, diversity, and inquiry. Variables used to explain differences among classes included three teacher credentials (pedagogical training, teaching experience, and mathematics education), observed teaching effectiveness, grade level, and school size. Results of analyses of variance indicated that observed teaching effectiveness was the most powerful and most consistent predictor of the mathematics classroom learning environment.

Comparison of teacher and pupil perceptions of the learning environment in mathematics classes

Comparisons were made between teacher and pupil perceptions of eight facets of the mathematics classroom environment: difficulty, speed, inquiry, diversity, satisfaction, competitiveness, formality, and goal-direction. Questionnaires measuring classroom environment were administered in 60 junior high school mathematics classes to 1338 pupils and their teachers. Teacher perceptions tended to differ from pupil perceptions although not always in the hypothesized direction. Teacher gender and pupil sex ratio were somewhat related to teacher-pupil differences, while grade level and ability level were less consistently associated with differences.

Chemistry Teachers Research Their Own Work: Two Case Studies

Ten high-school chemistry teachers and two staff members from the Science Teaching Department of the Weizmann Institute of Science who served as coordinators participated in a one-year professional development program aimed at enhancing the teaching and learning of chemistry using Action Research methodology. In Action Research, teachers research their own practice of teaching. The program involved monthly meetings throughout the year at the Science Teaching Department. Here we present two case studies which will serve as examples of the program. In the first study, teachers investigated their students’ misconceptions about the electrical conductivity of metals and ionic materials. The second study focused on the behavior of non-science-oriented students and their attitudes toward chemistry studies. The program included an evaluation of the process that teachers underwent while doing their classroom research; the evaluation was done by the workshop coordinators. Based on the findings of these two studies, we may conclude that involving teachers in an intensive workshop dealing with various aspects of teaching and with investigating their own work, provides teachers with tools for systematically diagnosing students’ learning difficulties and the ability to change their instruction accordingly. Moreover, the workshop experience supported an environment of collegiality and enabled teachers to collaborate with professional researchers and other teachers.

Affective changes in socially disadvantaged children as a result of one to one tutoring

The Perach P ro jec t is a o n e t o o n e t u t o r i n g p r o g r a m in Is rae l w h i c h matches u n i v e r s i t y s t u d e n t s w i t h soc i a l l y d i s a d v a n t a g e d c h i l d r e n . Th i s p r o g r a m o p e r a t e s w i t h i n e v e r y u n i v e r s i t y in t h e c o u n t r y and d u r i n g 1980-1981 a p p r o x i m a t e l y 5 ,800 t u t o r t u t e e p a i r s we re f o r m e d .