Abstract:
The majority of the science teachers who will be in the schools of Australia in the year 2000 are already there. The Panel conducting the National Disciplinary Review of Teachers of Mathematics and Science were deeply impressed by this fact and accordingly recommended that science teachers be given opportunities to update their knowledge and skills. Because there are changes in both what science is appropriate to teach and how student learning may best be encouraged, teachers need to be assisted to review what they are doing, to pursue new ideas, to expand their knowledge and to develop new pedagogies. The findings of the Review concerning these teacher needs and the extent to which Australia’s institutions of higher education are contributing to meeting them are described. The needs differ with the level of education. The provisions for science as part of formal post-initial programmes are not satisfactorily meeting the very considerable needs of primary and early childhood teachers. At the secondary level the formal provisions are more effective but involve only a relatively small number of teachers. Staff in institutions with strong research programmes tended to be more involved in non formal professional development. Some of these staff now offer more extended types of professional development than was the case a few years ago. The implications of the experience gained in these extended developmental programmes are discussed since they challenge much of what has counted as professional development in Australia.