ERIC Number: EJ803499
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2008-Aug
Pages: 19
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1046-560X
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Assessing Teachers' Beliefs to Facilitate the Transition to a New Chemistry Curriculum: What Do the Teachers Want?
Coenders, Fer; Terlouw, Cees; Dijkstra, Sanne
Journal of Science Teacher Education, v19 n4 p317-335 Aug 2008
In this article, we describe the results of a study of chemistry high school teachers' beliefs (N = 7) of the chemistry curriculum and their roles, their beliefs on the teacher as developer of materials, and their beliefs about professional development. Teachers' beliefs influence the implementation of a curriculum. We view the use of a new curriculum as a learning process, which should start at teachers' prior knowledge and beliefs. The results reveal that it is possible to develop a new curriculum in which teachers' beliefs are taken as a starting point. Promising approaches to prepare teachers for a new curriculum is to let them (co)develop and use curriculum materials: It creates ownership, and strengthens and develops teachers' pedagogical content knowledge (PCK).
Descriptors: Prior Learning, Chemistry, Secondary School Teachers, Pedagogical Content Knowledge, Teaching Methods, Beliefs, Teacher Attitudes, Secondary School Curriculum, Science Teachers, Teacher Developed Materials, Professional Development, Curriculum Development
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Secondary Education; High Schools; Secondary Education
Audience: Teachers
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A