Australian Journal of Teacher Education
Keywords
teacher professional learning, science education, rural schools, socioeconomic status, educational equity, content knowledge, discourse community.
Abstract
This article reports on a qualitative evaluation of the Science in Schools program; a suite of science based activities delivered by staff of a regional university campus and designed to provide professional development for science teachers working in non-metropolitan schools in a socioeconomically disadvantaged region of Australia. The research identified a range of issues including: the influence of socioeconomic disadvantage and rurality on teachers’ professional learning needs, and the importance of subject specific discourse communities and content knowledge for new and out-of-field teachers. Implications for the design and implementation of school-university partnerships are discussed.
Recommended Citation
Sheehan, G. R., & Mosse, J. (2013). Working with Science Teachers to Transform the Opportunity Landscape for Regional and Rural Youth: A Qualitative Evaluation of the Science in Schools Program. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 38(1). https://doi.org/10.14221/ajte.2013v38n1.3