Policy & Systemic
Reform
Curriculum &
Educational
Materials
Technology
Assessment &
Evaluation
Professional
Development
Partnerships &
Collaboration
Equity & Diversity
Informal Education
& Outreach

Professional Development and
Teacher Preparation

After extensively reviewing the condition of science and mathematics teaching in America, the National Commission on Mathematics and Science Teaching for the 21st Century, chaired by Senator John Glenn, found the quality of math and science education in America to be "unacceptable." In what is known as the Glenn Report, the commission concluded that "the most powerful instrument for change, and therefore the place to begin, lies at the very core of education-with teaching itself." It adds "that the way to interest children in mathematics and science is through teachers who are not only enthusiastic about their subjects, but who are also steeped in their disciplines and who have the professional training-as teachers-to teach those subjects well. Nor is this teacher training simply a matter of preparation; it depends just as much-or even more-on sustained, high-quality professional development." Improvement of Earth and space science education depends equally on the improvement of teaching through high-quality professional development.

The Glenn Report defines professional development as sustained educational processes that enable teachers to "(1) deepen their knowledge of the subject(s) they are teaching; (2) sharpen their teaching skills in the classroom; (3) keep up with developments in their fields, and in education generally; (4) generate and contribute new knowledge to the profession; and (5) increase their ability to monitor students' work so they can provide constructive feedback and appropriately redirect their own teaching."

Of all the K-12 science disciplines, Earth and space science is in greatest need of new professional development strategies. There is inadequate success in recruiting and retaining teachers and many who teach Earth and space science are unqualified or under-qualified. Many lack sufficient familiarity with the concepts and content, and are untrained in pedagogical strategies such as inquiry-based learning. Most cannot adequately apply textbook concepts to the real-world community and region in which they live. They often lack experience with new and evolving technology learning resources, such as Web-based data and imagery.

To improve Earth and space science education in K-12 classrooms, there is an urgent need to enhance the preparation and professional growth of the discipline's teachers. Beginning with their pre-service training and extending throughout their careers, teachers require systemic, comprehensive and ongoing professional development programs and opportunities.

The following goals should guide the development of next-generation professional development programs for Earth and space science education:

  • Teachers gain an extensive knowledge of Earth and space science, including such key concepts in Earth and space science as understanding Earth as a system of interlinked processes, and the application of concepts to geographic regions familiar and relevant to their students' lives.
  • Teachers understand through both training and experience the most effective pedagogical strategies. These include inquiry-driven learning, field-based studies and collaborative tasks. Teachers should be able to motivate and empower students to design and conduct their own investigations.
  • Teachers understand and can deploy in classroom settings the tools and resources that increase student learning in Earth and space science education. These include visualization applications and a wealth of Earth and space science data and imagery available on the Web.
  • Teachers become lifelong learners, continually enhancing their knowledge and skill sets through professional development. They stay abreast of new tools, technologies and pedagogical strategies as they become available.
  • The teaching of Earth and space science is aligned with state standards.
  • All stakeholders in the educational system, from teachers, school administrators and institutions of higher education to professional associations, parents and lawmakers, support teacher professional development and understand that it is critical to the effective teaching of Earth and space science, as well as other disciplines, in our nation's classrooms.

Professional Development Recommendations

Many of our recommendations build upon those offered by the Glenn Commission.

  1. All states should evaluate the state of Earth and space science education in their K-12 classrooms to determine if teachers' professional development needs are being met.
    States should comprehensively assess professional development support for Earth and space science teachers on a district level. The initiative should examine the scope and quality of Earth and space science education that is offered to students and the resources that are available to teachers. These include curricular materials, texts, assessment strategies, Internet access and other tools. The assessment also should consider the abilities of teachers to deploy new learning technologies such as data visualizations. By determining the state of Earth and space science education and the needs of teachers, stakeholders can develop action plans to provide adequate professional development to ensure routinely high-quality teaching and learning.

  2. State departments of education should collaborate with their school districts to develop summer professional development programs for Earth and space science teachers, and federal and state funding agencies should support the establishment of professional development summer institutes for them.
    For many teachers, participating in concerted professional development during the school year is not practical due to scheduling constraints. Therefore, funding should be made available to compensate teachers who invest one month each summer in professional development activities. Such a strategy will provide teachers with the time necessary to enhance their knowledge of content, gain training with pedagogical strategies, bolster their skills with technologies and tools, and learn the latest advances in the discipline. By institutionalizing professional development in their lives, teachers greatly refine their skills and serve as role models for lifelong learning.

    Professional development summer institutes will provide teachers with annual opportunities to enhance their knowledge of Earth and space science content, learn new teaching skills, and gain experience in deploying technologies in their classrooms. Their faculties should consist of teachers who are experienced with the best practices in Earth and space science education. The institutes can provide both onsite training at school facilities as well as online mentoring, guidance and resources.

  3. Federal and state departments of education, as well as the NSF, NASA, and other Earth and space science organizations and funders, should support and expand collaborative efforts for teacher professional development.
    At local, state and national levels, collaborations of scientists, educators, businesses and government agencies should work together to support teacher professional development. Such collaborations enhance the teaching of Earth and space science education by facilitating communication and coordination among Earth and space science organizations.

    As an example, the Coalition for Earth Science Education (CESE) is an informal union of science, education and government organizations involved in Earth and space science education. CESE can help as a coordinating body for Earth and space science education reform.

    Collaborative efforts at local, state and national levels can help ensure the deployment of systemic professional development initiatives for states and school districts, monitor their progress and enable school districts to align their professional development initiatives with state curricula, teaching guidelines, performance standards and assessment frameworks.

  4. State and federal funders of Earth and space science education should support the creation of communities of practice for Earth and space science teachers on school and district levels.
    Local and regional communities of practice provide venues for teachers to improve their subject knowledge and teaching skills. By engaging in ongoing professional development dialogues and activities, they can mentor and learn from each other, effectively disseminating best practices and curricula materials to classrooms. For teacher convenience, these communities can be both district based and virtual, relying on Web resources and listservs for communicating and sharing resources.

  5. Federal agencies, in concert with state and local resources, should implement a national campaign to recruit Earth and space science teachers.
    To address the shortage of high-quality Earth and space science teachers, an aggressive multi-faceted campaign needs to be implemented to recruit sufficient numbers of trained and qualified teachers. Such a campaign can include the following initiatives:

    • an outreach program to undergraduate departments of Earth and space science, geology, meteorology, environmental science, chemistry, physics and biology, encouraging their graduates to consider teaching as Earth scientists;
    • an outreach program to Earth and space science professional societies, encouraging members who are interested in transitioning to teaching. Members also can participate in mentoring programs for pre-service and in-service teachers and support an outreach program at colleges and universities to encourage teacher recruitment;
    • a national outreach media campaign, supported by the federal government, to attract young people to teaching careers in Earth and space science;
    • funding for loans and scholarship programs through appropriate federal agencies to support the induction of teachers into Earth and space science education, particularly teachers from underrepresented groups;
    • the development and dissemination of materials and information as a nationally coordinated effort to stimulate recruitment for both mid-career and recent college graduates.

  6. The federal government should fund the development of Earth and space science teaching academies.
    These academies will provide one-year, research- and school-based preparation programs for recent college graduates and persons seeking rewarding mid-life career changes, as well as in-service Earth and space science teachers who seek to enhance their skills and professional status. Students will receive in-depth training in Earth and space science and advanced classroom teaching strategies and methods. Additionally, federal funds should be made available to enable school districts to hire available graduates as Earth and space science teachers. Rather than invest in new brick-and-mortar facilities, each academy will be operated under the auspices of existing educational institutions and have a strong distance-learning component so that professional development can occur throughout the year.

  7. Local, state and federal organizations should work with businesses to form business/school district partnerships.
    Businesses, particularly those that rely on Earth and space science, can play vital roles in teacher professional development, providing expertise, funding, materials and equipment to enhance teaching and encourage students to pursue Earth and space science as a career path. Business partnerships can provide laboratory and data-gathering tools and train teachers on classroom technologies. They can support teacher communities of practice by hosting professional development Web sites for local teachers. They can provide employees with "release time" to mentor Earth and space science teachers and support classroom learning. They can offer paid summer internships within their organizations for teachers to enhance their skills.
    The Coalition for Earth Science Education (CESE) and others involved in this field should work with businesses and their professional organizations, such as the National Alliance of Business and the Business Coalition for Education Reform, to offer models of existing partnerships and encourage new ones. Special attention must be paid to the fact that not all districts have a significant business base. As a result, mechanisms must be developed to ensure professional development support for these localities as well.

  8. Federal agencies should further fund the Digital Library for Earth System Education (DLESE) to support additional professional development resources.
    DLESE provides a central clearinghouse for digital information, curricula, data and visualization tools for Earth and space science education. This important initiative also establishes ongoing forums for scientists and educators to collaborate on designing and developing online resources. The expansion of DLESE should include a Web portal dedicated to the professional development of Earth and space science teachers. This portal will link teachers to Earth and space science content and resources, lesson plans, and video examples of the best teaching practices. It also will feature an online professional journal for Earth and space science teachers, enabling them to publish research and share teaching strategies, as well as online resources for synchronous and asynchronous conversations, meetings and idea sharing.
 
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