Abstract
The importance of teaching science to a high standard is a major factor in promoting progress in pupils as well as developing and shaping their interest and attitude to primary science. However, there is much evidence to show that primary teachers’ subject knowledge of science is poor leading them to having decreased confidence in teaching the subject and thus leading them to seeking support in teaching the various strands of the science curriculum. In response to this, this thesis will address the implementation of a framework for continuing professional development for teachers in primary science. The study was constructed based on the salient features of professional development which was gleamed from an extensive body of literature.The research posits that investigation into the role of CPD in improving teaching capacity within the rural based science teacher cohort should have more emphasis on personal abstractions such as competence and attitudes; the existence of which creates barriers that leads to isolation and a low yield when assessing financial cost benefits. Using a compare and contrast approach, this study assessed the differentials in approaches in Ireland to those used in the UK. Such an approach assesses the limitations of practicing in environments that bear the brunt of structural and temporal imperialism. This approach offered for the exposure of outcomes from CPD practices that can be considered as obstacles to increased capacity for those teachers employed in Irish rural schools. Financial sustainability is one of these exposures and with this; the study suggests a number of components that would reside within a financially-sustainable CPD framework. From here, this study sought to assess the development of a specific model of CPD that can be used within the rural setting in order to address the range of structural weakness that are currently built into the professional development system. However, as part of any professional development system there is always scope for encouraging selfdevelopment, so this study also considered how teachers can help themselves.
To address those issues, this study used a mixed methods approach in order to investigate the research question; a pre and post questionnaire was administered to teachers in the study and individual interviews with the teachers were conducted following the implementation of a continuing professional development in science course. In developing meaningful continuing professional development the participants were chosen from a cluster of schools in a remote rural area of Ireland. The teachers who participated in this study can sometimes be disengaged from professional development due to location and poor internet access.
The research findings from this study showed that following the implementation of this programme the participants became more motivated as well as confident and competent in delivering and teaching primary science. The participants also became more aware of the importance of having good subject knowledge when teaching science. The study also gleamed the importance of establishing learning communities among teaching staff particularly those who feel isolated due to location.
| Date of Award | 2020 |
|---|---|
| Original language | English |
| Awarding Institution |
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| Sponsors | Teaching Council |
| Supervisor | Fernando Lannes Fernandes (Supervisor) & Liz Lakin (Supervisor) |