An Overview of Professional Preparation for Preservice and In-Service Science Teachers

Abstract

In the context of the new round of science education reform, a substantial number of teacher professional learning communities have been established in mainland China to apply the beliefs and goals of the new science curriculum standards to a broad set of classroom teaching practices. These professional learning communities adopted a standards-based, pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) perspective and offered teachers the opportunities for self- and collegial reflection. In this chapter, we unpack the typical preservice science teacher preparation programs and four representative in-service science teacher professional development models in mainland China: online teacher education programs, model lesson study, workshops for distinguished teachers, and collective lesson preparation. The examples described in this chapter show preservice science teachers’ development provided by certain approved institutions, which focus primarily on the development of scientific and educational knowledge and teaching practices. These examples also show when individuals graduate from these institutions and become in-service science teachers at K-12 schools, they will gain further development by adopting a standards-based, PCK perspective and engaging in self- and collegial reflection through professional learning communities established either specifically for them or in an integrated manner for all science teachers.