As the World Health Organization
declared COVID-19 a global pandemic
in March 2020, universities around the world reacted quickly by shifting
classes online. To varying extents, this rapid change required chemistry
teacher educators to rethink and redesign their units and delivery.
Some teacher educators may have perceived this shift as a timely opportunity
to reflect on their technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK)
and on how to model TPACK through chemistry preservice teacher education
classes. This paper presents reflections from three chemistry teacher
educators from different universities in Victoria, Australia. The
reflections are offered in the form of vignettes that illustrate how
these teacher educators modeled the use of digital technologies to
meaningfully support preservice teachers’ learning in chemistry
education. After the teachers independently wrote the vignettes, they
were analyzed for common themes which have been used to develop recommendations
for other chemistry teacher educators who may also find themselves
reflecting on their TPACK as they support preservice teachers in an
online environment.
Reading, at its core, is a basic yet critical way to undertake learning and growth. This paper shares a professional learning and development initiative for science educators, which was underpinned by the popularity and premise of the reading group. In moving from simply being a vehicle for targeted discussion, the reading group facilitators sought to support the participants in taking a deeper dive into their practice with the impact ultimately being changes to their personal pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) for science. This small-scale qualitative study was informed by the voices of three science educators at different stages and career trajectories, who participated in interviews. The data revealed that their participation in the reading group informed the development of their personal and collective PCK by (a) creating conditions that encouraged meaningful links to be made between theory and practice, (b) encouraging the adoption of an inquiry stance as a means for engaging purposively with professional knowledge, and (c) initiating a transformation in their contemporary understandings of science and science education. By drawing on the participants’ narratives, this study brings to the fore both the simplicity and depth of complexity that can be achieved through a reading group focused on professional learning and development. The implications of this research are wide reaching as the reading group as a concept can be applied to a variety of contexts and shaped to reach a variety of educational needs.
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