Overall, STM teachers’ perceived utility of the provided
professional development experience was lower
than that of the remainder of the teaching population.
Most notably, science educators tend to find the professional
development less useful when it is related to
teaching students with categorical disabilities, while
mathematics educators find it less useful in teaching students
with LEP.
These descriptive results may raise further interest
among STEM educators and researchers on the granular
level of professional development experiences for STEM
teachers. Given the intent of the current study, descriptive
statistical procedures provided a general overview and
useful estimated information on the target population.
These findings stand to be further advanced through a
separate qualitative study to explore the issues that STM
teachers have found in their professional development
experiences related to students with disabilities and
those with LEP. However, the current dataset does
not permit an analysis of the relationships between
teachers’ professional development and their actual
teaching outcome. Another limitation of the study is
that school level (elementary, middle, or high school) is
not consistent across the USA. Therefore, grade level is
not a viable separation within the closed dataset. Even so,
SASS TQ offers potential for future research investigating
connections and correlations across results that could
provide more information on the topic and suggests areas
of interest to enlighten future studies.
Alternative formats of professional development may be
needed to improve teacher perceived utility. Aligned educational
school goals would also help teachers build coherence
between these professional development opportunities
and their own teaching objectives (Lumpe et al. 2000). Furthermore,
the concepts of universal design, as well as practical
techniques such as the use of internet resources,
multimedia demonstration methods, and teaching applications
should be introduced to teachers, in accord with
equipment and accessible resources. It is necessary for
contemporary STEM education teachers to raise the
awareness of the importance of pedagogical content
knowledge and knowledge about learners. Sufficient and
useful professional development programs, addressing
the special needs of students with LEP and categorical
disabilities, are necessary in order to adequately understand
student needs and adapt classroom practices for
diverse learner groups within the new integrated STEM
learning context.
Overall, STM teachers’ perceived utility of the providedprofessional development experience was lowerthan that of the remainder of the teaching population.Most notably, science educators tend to find the professionaldevelopment less useful when it is related toteaching students with categorical disabilities, whilemathematics educators find it less useful in teaching studentswith LEP.These descriptive results may raise further interestamong STEM educators and researchers on the granularlevel of professional development experiences for STEMteachers. Given the intent of the current study, descriptivestatistical procedures provided a general overview anduseful estimated information on the target population.These findings stand to be further advanced through aseparate qualitative study to explore the issues that STMteachers have found in their professional developmentexperiences related to students with disabilities andthose with LEP. However, the current dataset doesnot permit an analysis of the relationships betweenteachers’ professional development and their actualteaching outcome. Another limitation of the study isthat school level (elementary, middle, or high school) isnot consistent across the USA. Therefore, grade level isnot a viable separation within the closed dataset. Even so,SASS TQ offers potential for future research investigatingconnections and correlations across results that couldprovide more information on the topic and suggests areas
of interest to enlighten future studies.
Alternative formats of professional development may be
needed to improve teacher perceived utility. Aligned educational
school goals would also help teachers build coherence
between these professional development opportunities
and their own teaching objectives (Lumpe et al. 2000). Furthermore,
the concepts of universal design, as well as practical
techniques such as the use of internet resources,
multimedia demonstration methods, and teaching applications
should be introduced to teachers, in accord with
equipment and accessible resources. It is necessary for
contemporary STEM education teachers to raise the
awareness of the importance of pedagogical content
knowledge and knowledge about learners. Sufficient and
useful professional development programs, addressing
the special needs of students with LEP and categorical
disabilities, are necessary in order to adequately understand
student needs and adapt classroom practices for
diverse learner groups within the new integrated STEM
learning context.
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