Effective Computer Science Teacher Professional Development

CSAwesome is a new approved curriculum and professional development (PD) provider for the Advanced Placement (AP) Computer Science (CS) A high school course. AP courses are taken by secondary (typically ages 14-19) students for college placement and/or credit. CSAwesome's free curriculum and teacher resources were developed in 2019 by adapting the CSA Java Review ebook on the open-source Runestone platform. The goals of CSAwesome are to broaden participation in the AP CSA course and to support new-to-CS students and teachers as they transition from the AP Computer Science Principles (CSP) course to the AP CSA course by using inclusive teaching practices and curriculum design. The AP CSP course is equivalent to a first course for non-majors at the college level, while the AP CSA course is equivalent to a first course for majors. Currently, AP CSA attracts a much less diverse student body than AP CSP. This new curriculum supports student engagement and scaffolded learning through an interactive ebook with embedded executable and modifiable code (Active Code), a variety of practice types with immediate feedback, and adaptable mixed-up code (Parsons) problems. Collaborative learning is encouraged through pair programming and groupwork. Our pilot Professional Development (PD) incorporates inclusive teaching strategies and active recruitment with the goal of broadening participation in CSA. This paper presents the design of the CSAwesome curriculum and teacher professional development and initial results from the curriculum use and pilot PD during the first year of CSAwesome.

Research-practice partnerships (RPPs) are a promising strategy for tackling persistent problems of practice and building knowledge about practices that may promote equity in computer science. Education Development Center (EDC) and New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE) are engaged in an RPP to enhance and study the implementation of high school Advanced Placement (AP) Computer Science Principles (CSP) courses in low-performing NYC schools. The objectives of this partnership are: sustained implementation of AP CSP courses in low-performing NYC high schools; greater participation of female students and students from racial and ethnic groups (URG) typically underrepresented in CS; and the integration of findings across NYCDOE's K-12 CS4All initiative. The partnership is studying and iteratively refining teacher and school supports, such as professional development (PD) and curriculum resources, school-based supports, and resources for school leaders, developed for and with low-performing schools. We hope to contribute knowledge of the curriculum, PD, and school supports that promote success for all students. The impact of the proposed work has implications for low-performing NYC high schools, and for schools nationwide that offer AP CSP. Administrators, teachers, developers, and policymakers can use these findings to promote AP CSP implementation supports for teachers and schools that show promise for improving student outcomes.

This article compares the two most prominent courses of Advanced Placement (AP) computer science study offered throughout 9-12 grades in the U.S. The structure, guidelines, components, and exam formats of the traditional AP Computer Science A course and the relatively newer AP Computer Science Principles course were compared to examine differences in content and emphases. A depth-of-learning analysis was conducted employing Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy to examine potential differences in rigor and challenge represented by the two options, particularly as it relates to acquiring computer programming proficiency. Analyses suggest structural differences in both course content and end-of-course exam components likely result in less depth and rigor in the new Computer Science Principles course as compared to the Computer Science A course. A lower minimum standard for learning programming skills in the Computer Science Principles course was observed, making it a less viable option for students looking to acquire skills transferable to future computer science study or employment. The potential implications for students choosing the new course over the traditional offering, as well as for schools opting for the new course as its sole or primary offering are discussed.

In this paper we report on the impact of a year-long teacher professional development (PD) workshop on student problem-solving skills. The PD workshop was held in Chile and promoted the use of collaborative problem-solving activities in the classroom, through monthly sessions during the school year. Participant teachers met with a monitor to solve a new problem collaboratively, plan a problem-solving activity for their next lesson, and reflect on their activities from their previous lesson. The study documents the performance of two groups of students when solving non-routine mathematics problems in two similar and non-equal tests consisting of three problems each, before and after the year of application of the workshop. The first group of students was the experimental group with collaborative problem-solving activities, as proposed in the PD workshop. The second group was the control group, composed of students whose teachers followed traditional teaching. In the first part of the paper we present the results of pre- and post-tests in which the students in the experimental group improved their problem-solving performance in a significant way compared with the control group. In the second part, we present a sample of representation strategy used by successful students in both groups and we discuss, in general, student strategies in solving test problems.

“Good luck on your first day as an assistant professor, Dr. Tanner! Have a great class!” On the wall above my desk, these words scream out from an otherwise encouraging note that is adorned with many exclamation points. This note has hung on my wall since my very first day as an Assistant Professor of Biology. As I was charging off to teach my first class, a senior faculty member who had been on my hiring committee slipped this note under my office door. In moments of pause years later, I still stare up at that note and breathe a sigh of relief that I had much more than luck to guide me on my first day as a college-level teacher. Although I continue to have much to learn—as all of us do no matter the number of years of teaching experience—I did arrive at the university with both formal and informal training in science education. I had had plenty of exposure to innovative pedagogical approaches, questioning strategies, and techniques for engaging diverse audiences in learning science. As a scientist educator, I had had the privilege of many years of collaboration with outstanding K–12 educators as well as a postdoctoral fellowship in science education. However, my training has been, to say the least, unconventional compared with that of my fellow junior faculty and unique in its preparation in regard to the teaching and learning of my discipline. It will not be news to anyone reading this article that university and college teaching is to a large extent a profession with no formal training. It’s startling but true that the majority of faculty members—and lecturers who often teach large numbers of students—have no formal training in the teaching and learning of their discipline. In fact, the hiring process in university science departments is structured primarily to evaluate a faculty candidate’s ability to be a productive researcher, with success measured in number of publications and magnitude of grant funds raised. Depending on the type of institution, for example, research university, state-level university, or liberal arts college, there may be a component of the faculty interview process that probes a candidate’s teaching ability, for example, requesting a statement of teaching philosophy and requiring the candidate to teach a sample lecture class. However, this sample lecture often screens for gross inadequacies, rather than looking for stellar innovations or pedagogical skills. This lack of formal, accredited training for university and college instructors stands in stark contrast to the requirements for a high school teacher who is charged with the education of students only a year junior to college freshmen. High school teachers in the United States must be credentialed as a secondary science teacher, demonstrate subject matter competency in every subject that they will be teaching, and must continually engage in professional development in the teaching and learning of their discipline throughout their career as a science teacher. With the 2002 federal No Child Left Behind legislation, the onus is upon each precollege science teacher to become “highly qualified” in terms of formal university-level training in science education. However, no such required professional training or measurable standards for teaching are required in institutions of higher education. Many policy documents have suggested standards of teaching practice in postsecondary science education (National Research Council, 1996, 1997; Siebert and McIntosh, 2001), but the extent of implementation of these ideals is unclear and has gone relatively unstudied, although national and regional accreditation boards do look at outcomes, asking colleges and universities to assess what their students have gained from four years of study at their institutions. Nonetheless, there is a striking reversal of accountability that happens when one crosses the precollege teaching to college-level teaching boundary (Table 1). During the K–12 school years, society expects K–12 teachers to be responsible for student learning. Salaries of teachers in many states are tied to student test scores, and poor student performance can potentially invoke penalties. At a college or university, several variables in the educational universe shift. Students are the ones responsible for learning. The evaluation and compensation of college-level teachers is not DOI: 10.1187/cbe.05–12–0132 Address correspondence to: Kimberly Tanner (kdtanner@sfsu.edu). CBE—Life Sciences Education Vol. 5, 1–6, Spring 2006

Professional development (PD) is widely regarded as essential for enhancing the teaching quality and professional engagement of music educators. In the Chinese context, PD initiatives, including structured teacher training and research engagement, aim to align music education practices with national curriculum reforms and evolving educational demands. However, the diverse patterns of PD engagement among in-service primary music teachers and their associations with teaching readiness, school identification, and job satisfaction remain underexplored. This study investigates these relationships through a latent profile analysis of 375 Chinese primary school music teachers. Five distinct profiles were identified: High-Load Teachers, Research-Oriented Teachers, Training-Oriented Teachers, Balanced Teaching and Training Teachers, and Low-Load Teachers. The results revealed that Training-Oriented and Balanced Teaching and Training Teachers demonstrated the highest levels of teaching readiness, school identification, and job satisfaction, highlighting the effectiveness of practice-oriented training in fostering professional engagement. Conversely, Research-Oriented Teachers exhibited the lowest scores across these dimensions, underscoring the challenges associated with an excessive focus on research, such as inadequate classroom preparation and diminished institutional alignment. These findings emphasize the need for tailored, balanced PD strategies that integrate research and practical training to address the unique needs of music teachers.

The article substantiates the theoretical principles of the professional training of pilot instructors in civil aviation of Ukraine. It covers the analysis of significant scientific researches and publications concerning training of civil aviation specialists and highlights the relevance of the topic of research. Considerable attention is given to the terminological apparatus in the context of aviation professional education. The article provides interpretations of such terms as professional training, pedagogical system, pedagogical conditions and competence.
 There is a serious demand to educate a sufficient number of qualified flight instructors, who would be able to deal with the intensive scientific and technical transformations of the aviation industry. This matter is of particular relevance to our country, where the civil aviation industry may become a factor in the revival of an efficient economy.
 Professional civil aviation pilot training has been a research subject of many Ukrainian scientists, such as: V. Asriyan I. Galimska, O. Moskalenko, T. Plachinda, G. Puhalska and others. However, the problem of professional civil aviation pilot instructor training in Ukraine has remained out of scientists’ attention.
 Scientists suggest considering professional training of aviation specialists as an integrated system of interdisciplinary knowledge and skills, provided by the use of a set of theoretical and flight training activities, that teach to solve practical problems during professional duties. The essence of such training can be determined as an integrated pedagogical process that contributes to the formation of psychophysiological qualities, resistance to extreme factors of professional activity and achievement of a high level of efficiency by civil aviation pilots.
 In this study, professional training of instructor pilots is also considered as a part of the overall education system of aviation specialists, which involves acquiring general and professional competencies that provide mastery of knowledge and skills of the future instructor. It is aimed at a full professional self-realization of the individual and is focused on the formation of pedagogical competence of an instructor. Successful functioning of elements of such a system is impossible without fulfillment of certain pedagogical conditions.
 We have researched only some theoretical aspects of professional civil aviation pilot training in Ukraine. The next stage of our study will cover the legal regulations that describe professional training of pilot instructors in Ukraine.

The article examines the analysis of historical experience and the modern concept of the future teachers training based on the examples of research on various aspects of teacher education in Ukraine and foreign countries: Great Britain, Germany, and the United States. It is noted that the main element in the content of pedagogical education is the theoretical and practical component in the preparation of the future teacher. The teacher of the 21st century is declared the bearer of social change. Orientation of society towards European standards and values, the best world traditions, require corresponding systemic changes in the field of education as well. The cornerstone of such changes is the improvement of the quality of the educational process in educational institutions, and therefore the quality of teacher training. The author presents the concept of the future teachers training based on the experience of European standards. The progressive achievements of countries that demonstrate a high level of professional training of teachers, in accordance with world standards are of significant scientific interest; they have rich historical traditions of education, which contributes to their leading role in the field of science and education at the regional and global levels; they have accumulated considerable experience in the field of professional training of teachers in new socio-cultural conditions. The key features of the professional training of teachers in the studied foreign countries at the beginning of the 21st century are substantiated: the expansion of the pedagogical practice component in the training of teachers; availability of several alternative ways of teachers training; creation of continuous professional development systems; updating the content of professional teacher training programs; transfer of professional development programs; strengthening of selection rules for pedagogical speciality; delegation of powers regarding certification and professional development. The author notes that the training of a modern teacher must meet the requirements related to innovative activities, the modelling of the structure of such activities of the future teacher is needed, which forms the readiness to perceive, develop or use of the latest educational programs, technologies and does not affect his professional position. No matter how time, values and trends change, a master teacher will always be in demand. Key words: future teacher, foreign experience, concept of training, personally oriented pedagogy, innovative activity.

This study describes preservice teachers' beliefs about teaching mathematics for social justice (TMSJ) after experiencing a two‐part professional development (PD) workshop on the subject. The research question is: To what degree does a PD experience, designed by a preservice teacher, influence preservice teachers' beliefs about TMSJ? The lead author is a preservice teacher who designed and enacted two workshops for education majors at Midwest University. Results indicated that preservice teachers' beliefs were statistically significantly different, with their beliefs trending toward “more strongly agree” about TMSJ after the two‐part PD. There was also less variance in their responses to the survey after the PD compared to before it. This research offers (a) a narrative of preservice teacher‐driven PD and (b) a rich description of a PD for preservice teachers, thus adding to prior literature about in‐service teachers' outcomes.

This article attempts a personal answer to the following two connected questions: "What are the most important problems in the preparation of mathematics teachers in view of the tasks, functions, and roles they have or ought to have in contemporary mathematics teaching?", and "What specific challenges to the preparation of teachers of mathematics do these problems generate?" These questions are posed as general ones with no particular reference to any specific country. The answers which this article offers to these questions are based on three "axioms" concerning the job of a mathematics teacher and on a characterisation of the qualities which the "ideal, but unfortunately Utopian, mathematics teacher" ought to possess. From this point of departure six major current problems in the preparation, roles and functioning of mathematics teachers are identified: (i) work- ing and living conditions; (ii) qualitative and quantitative recruitment; (Hi) pre- and in-service preparation and education; (iv) teachers' knowledge, beliefs and perceptions of mathematics; (v) teachers' knowledge, beliefs and perceptions of mathematics education and of the tasks, roles, and positions of mathematics teachers; (vi) professional development. These problems are discussed in some detail and the article concludes by suggesting points which deserve particular attention in efforts to develop and improve the education of mathematics teachers: knowledge and perceptions concerning mathematical content and processes (we are talking about teachers of MATHEMATICS, not just about teachers); the need for enthusiastic and committed TEACHERS rather than people who are somewhat knowledgeable in mathematics and happen to teach it; the need for frameworks and environments for continuing professional growth and development. This is a slightly revised manuscript of a plenary lecture given by the author at the ICMI-China Regional Conference on Mathematics Education, Shanghai, 16-20 August 1994.

Currently, 19 states have adopted the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) while 16 states have revised their standards to mirror the NGSS. Transitioning from the previous standards to the NGSS requires in-depth teacher professional development (PD) that delves into the three-dimensional (3D) performance expectations (PE) of the NGSS. Each PE constitutes: science and engineering practices (SEPs), disciplinary core ideas (DCIs), and crosscutting concepts (CCCs). Teaching in the 3D model shifts the focus of science classrooms to environments where students use DCIs and CCCs with scientific practices to explore, examine, and explain scientific phenomena and to design solutions to problems. Recent literature argues that PD plays a key role in providing teachers with knowledge and skills to familiarize themselves with NGSS and assist them in successfully implementing new curricula and changing teaching practices. During 2015-2017, each summer, we led a three-week robot-integrated PD program for middle school science and math teachers. To address the shift in 3D science teaching and learning, six teachers (three math and three science), who had previously participated in the PD program, were recruited for a new PD workshop in 2018. The goal of the PD was to support teachers in selecting the PE’s relevant to their middle school curriculum, in addition to using Bybee’s 5E instructional model, thus creating robotics-based NGSS-plus-5E lessons. The 5E’s include: Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate. In the classroom, the teacher selects a science phenomenon for their first “E” and then takes students through a journey making the phenomenon clearer with each subsequent “E”. As part of the framework for this study, teachers became learners and went through four NGSS-plus-5E lessons created by PD facilitators to then create their own lessons. The workshop was planned and conducted based on Desimone’s conceptual framework for effective PD, which suggests five key features: content focus, active learning, coherence, sustained duration, and collective participation. The paper addresses the following research questions: (1) To what extent are the lesson plans developed by science and math teachers aligned with the three-dimensional learning of the NGSS and 5E model? (2) How can the lessons be improved for three-dimensional learning? The methodology for the analysis is a qualitative case study of two groups of middle school science and math teachers. During the PD, the two teams of three middle school teachers each collaboratively developed lesson plans which focused on ways to implement the 5E inquiry-based and the NGSS-aligned science instruction. The science lesson plans developed by the participants were the main data sources in this study. We focused on two exemplary lesson units, which were analyzed using two vetted rubrics: the Educators Evaluating the Quality of Instructional Products (EQuIP) rubric for Science v3 and the 5E Inquiry Lesson Plan (ILP) rubric v2. The EQuIP rubric provides criteria by which to examine the alignment and overall quality of NGSS lessons. The 5E ILPv2 was developed for use in evaluating teachers’ inquiry-based 5E lesson plans and it comprises of a total of 21 items, each item being Likert-type with a range of 0-4 points. In this study, analyzing lesson plans using the rubrics provided opportunities for suggestions and feedback for improvement to developers and it informs the development of new lessons by the project team. All data were triangulated by the PD facilitators with the same perspectives to establish validity and reliability.

This study sought to assess teacher qualification in public primary schools in Bomi and Margibi Counties, Liberia. Teacher Qualification in this study is considered as Academic Qualification and Teaching Experience. Participants were 133 teachers and 8 principals from 16 public primary schools in Bomi and Margibi Counties. A simple random sampling technique was used to select the teachers, while a purposive sampling technique was used to select the principals for the study. A cross-sectional survey design, documentary review, brief observations and mini-interview were used. A semi-structured self-administered questionnaire, in addition to the open ended questions for the mini-interview was mainly used to collect the data. Research findings revealed that nearly half of the teachers studied in Bomi and Margibi Counties have teaching certificates required to teach at the primary level. However, there is a considerable number of teachers teaching in public primary schools that don’t have the required certificates. This stresses the need for teacher training to still be prioritized. The study also revealed that most of the teachers with the academic qualification to teach, never had teaching experience besides the mandatory teaching practices (practicum) done during training. Findings suggest that although more teachers hold the minimum teaching certificate ( C Certificate), teacher training should still be prioritized as there are still more teachers in the classrooms without any formal teacher training. Continuous professional development (CPD) should also be carried out regularly to boost the competency level of teachers who already hold the teaching certificate, but have little teaching experience.

The objective of this study was to evaluate an innovative model for providing high quality professional development workshops (PDWs) in the context of a Learning Collaborative (LC) based intervention to build the capacities of school professionals to promote the social, emotional, and behavioral health of students. Eleven PDWs totaling 27.5 h were facilitated with 10 school‐based teams. Matched pre‐ and post‐surveys were completed by a total of 177 participants across the 10 teams. Results demonstrate significant increases in participants' self‐reported knowledge, skills, and self‐efficacy from pre‐ to post‐participation in each workshop, as well as high ratings of overall satisfaction. LC‐based PDWs, facilitated by school‐based behavioral health (BH) providers, hold promise for enhancing school professionals' capacities to address the critical social, emotional, and behavioral health needs of their students. Implications for administrators, school‐based BH providers, partnering community‐based agencies, and policymakers in sustainably replicating this promising, data‐driven model in schools are discussed.

Relevance In modern conditions of world globalization, the issue of prospects and the search for priorities for the implementation of the cultural aspect in education in Kyrgyzstan has become one of the most important problems in improving its quality.Purpose. The purpose of the article is to substantiate and introduce a methodology for the formation of cultural competence of future teachers in higher educational institutions of Kyrgyzstan, as a guarantee of their readiness to carry out professional activities.Methodology. The basis of the methodological approach of the study is the substantiation and verification of the effectiveness of the methodology for the development of cultural competence in future teachers during their studies at a higher educational institution; empirical methods: analysis, comparison, systematization, survey, questioning, testing, modelling, and design; experiment � ascertaining and forming; methods of mathematical statistics: processing the final indicators of the formation of the level of readiness of teachers for the formation of cultural competence during their professional training in higher educational institutions.Results. The content of the concept �culturological competence of the future teacher� is determined; its signs and features are disclosed, a methodology for the development of cultural competence of future teachers in the context of professional training has been developed and implemented. During a pilot study, methodological tools have been developed to increase the readiness of future teachers for the formation of cultural competence during professional training, namely: the implementation of readiness components with selected methods for their formation and pedagogical conditions. After conducting an experimental study, promising directions for improving the methodology for developing the readiness of future teachers for professional activities were formed through the formation of cultural competence during preparation for professional activities in higher educational institutions of Kyrgyzstan.Conclusions. The practical value of the work lies in the development of a methodological system for improving the training of future teachers in Kyrgyzstan based on a competency-based approach.

The article deals with the problems of acmeological approach’s essence concerning the professional teacher training, defining the most characteristic features of this approach, as well as the conditions for its practical implementation in the process of forming competence-based, personally directed education. In this context there were analyzed the trends in the development of the educational sphere, in particular professional pedagogical education, as well as the approaches of scientists regarding the interpretation of the acmeological approach’s essence. Also there were determined features that are the most relevant for ensuring its competence and personal directed education. A high level of dependence of implementing the acmeological approach into the system of educational activities of the schoolchild and the system of the teacher’s professional training is proved, in particular, the formation of real experience of self-organizing the educational activities, based on the achievement of predicted educational/professional success. The readiness of the future teacher to implement the competence approach (acmeological competence) is interpreted as a complex multi-functional education, that has a valuable, targeted, motivational potential and encourages (on the basis of self-programming, self-realization) to achieve one's own acme in the process of professional formation, professional activity in future. The conditions for the practical implementation of the acmeological approach in the system of professional training of the future teacher and the formation of his acmeological competence have been determined. They integrally refer to external conditions, related to the organization of the educational process on a personal, competence directed basis, and internal conditions that, within the framework of external conditions, form the student's ability to self-education, programming there professional development in accordance with their own potential.