Teachers Using a Novel Curriculum on an Introduction to Newtonian Mechanics: The Effects of a Short-Term Professional Development Program

Spatz, Verena; Wilhelm, Thomas; Hopf, Martin; Waltner, Christine und Wiesner, Hartmut (2019): Teachers Using a Novel Curriculum on an Introduction to Newtonian Mechanics: The Effects of a Short-Term Professional Development Program. In: Journal of Science Teacher Education, Bd. 30, Nr. 2: S. 159-178

Abstract

The project described here was aimed at developing and evaluating a novel curriculum with corresponding instructional materials for middle school students on an introduction to Newtonian mechanics, based on physics education research findings. A case study showed that teachers who attended a half-day workshop on the curriculum subsequently enacted these materials in their classrooms appropriately and saw improved student performance. Thus, the project suggests that with only a relatively short amount of training time teachers are able to utilize such materials and consequently to improve teaching and learning in physics classes. We therefore regard it as a promising approach for professional development programs.

• Dokumententyp: Zeitschriftenartikel
• Fakultät: Physik
• Themengebiete: 500 Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik > 530 Physik
• ISSN: 1046-560X
• Sprache: Englisch