Description of a holistic approach to Physics teacher development

Abstract

A holistic professional development (HPD) model was developed and tested with 75 secondary school physics teachers over a period of four years. This HPD model was developed in three phases and provides for the simultaneous development of teachers along three dimensions namely content knowledge, teaching approaches and professional attitudes. The model comprises the following elements: a study guide that integrated the development of teachers’ content knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge, cognitive skills and experimental skills; reflective journals; assignments; workshops; peer support; and science kits. A brief description will be given of the research that culminated in the HPD model, and then a description of each element of the model will follow. Evidence is then presented for the effectiveness of the model in helping teachers develop along the three desired dimensions.