Professional Development

Co-designing Citizen Science Projects for Elementary Schools in New Hampshire Through Teacher and Community-based Extension Science Volunteer Partnerships

In the United States, reforms put forth by Next Generation Science Standards have increased the demand for K-12 teacher professional development in science instruction. This study investigates a new professional development model, entitled Schoolyard SITES, that partners elementary teachers with University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension science volunteers to create a community-based partnership that improves teachers' understanding of NGSS-aligned instruction.

Author/Presenter

Lara M. Gengarelly

Sameer V. Honwad

Megan E. Glenn

Erik A. Froburg

Malin E. Clyde

Haley A. Andreozzi

Lead Organization(s)
Year
2025
Short Description

In the United States, reforms put forth by Next Generation Science Standards have increased the demand for K-12 teacher professional development in science instruction. This study investigates a new professional development model, entitled Schoolyard SITES, that partners elementary teachers with University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension science volunteers to create a community-based partnership that improves teachers' understanding of NGSS-aligned instruction.

“Adapting for a Local Space Can be Tricky”: Designing Units for Teachers to Localize Through Phenomenon Adaptation

Learning science in the context of local phenomena and problems can be powerful for young people. Yet, designing place-based instructional materials is resource intensive, limiting broad access. This study investigates how instructional materials designed for widespread use can support teacher localization through phenomenon adaptation, whereby teachers add or swap phenomena relevant to students' interests, identities, and community.

Author/Presenter

Emily M. Harris

Lindsey Mohan

Adrienne A. Hanson

Katahdin A. Cook Whitt

Candice Guy-Gaytán

Lisa O. Kenyon

Year
2025
Short Description

Learning science in the context of local phenomena and problems can be powerful for young people. Yet, designing place-based instructional materials is resource intensive, limiting broad access. This study investigates how instructional materials designed for widespread use can support teacher localization through phenomenon adaptation, whereby teachers add or swap phenomena relevant to students' interests, identities, and community.

Speak Up or Stay Silent: How Does Teachers’ Verbal Participation in a Professional Development Programme Relate to Instructional Outcomes?

Like classrooms, professional development (PD) workshops can be organised as dialogic and inclusive spaces, where the verbal contributions of the participants are critical for driving the inquiry and meeting the intended learning goals. Also, similar to how students interact during instruction, teachers’ verbal contributions during workshops may be uneven in their frequency and focus, with some individuals speaking up on particular topics, while others remain relatively silent.

Author/Presenter

Chao Wang

Jennifer Jacobs

Lead Organization(s)
Year
2024
Short Description

Like classrooms, professional development (PD) workshops can be organised as dialogic and inclusive spaces, where the verbal contributions of the participants are critical for driving the inquiry and meeting the intended learning goals. Also, similar to how students interact during instruction, teachers’ verbal contributions during workshops may be uneven in their frequency and focus, with some individuals speaking up on particular topics, while others remain relatively silent. This study examines the nature and variation of teachers’ verbal participation during whole-group discussions as part of a weeklong mathematics PD programme.

Transforming Teachers’ Roles and Agencies in the Era of Generative AI: Perceptions, Acceptance, Knowledge, and Practices

This paper explores the transformative impact of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) on teachers’ roles and agencies in education, presenting a comprehensive framework that addresses teachers’ perceptions, knowledge, acceptance, and practices of GenAI. As GenAI technologies, such as ChatGPT, become increasingly integrated into educational settings, both in-service and future teachers are required to adapt to evolving classroom dynamics, where AI plays a significant role in content creation, personalized learning, and student engagement.

Author/Presenter

Xiaoming Zhai

Lead Organization(s)
Year
2024
Short Description

This paper explores the transformative impact of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) on teachers’ roles and agencies in education, presenting a comprehensive framework that addresses teachers’ perceptions, knowledge, acceptance, and practices of GenAI.

Exploring Teachers’ Eye-Tracking Data and Professional Noticing When Viewing a 360 Video of Elementary Mathematics

Research incorporating either eye-tracking technology or immersive technology (virtual reality and 360 video) into studying teachers’ professional noticing is recent. Yet, such technologies allow a better understanding of the embodied nature of professional noticing. Thus, the goal of the current study is to examine how teachers’ eye-gaze in immersive representations of practice correspond to their attending to children’s mathematics.

Author/Presenter

Karl W. Kosko

Richard E. Ferdig

Chris Lenart

Jennifer Heisler

Qiang Guan

Lead Organization(s)
Year
2024
Short Description

Research incorporating either eye-tracking technology or immersive technology (virtual reality and 360 video) into studying teachers’ professional noticing is recent. Yet, such technologies allow a better understanding of the embodied nature of professional noticing. Thus, the goal of the current study is to examine how teachers’ eye-gaze in immersive representations of practice correspond to their attending to children’s mathematics.

Developing Elementary Teachers’ Climate Change Knowledge and Self-efficacy for Teaching Climate Change Using Learning Technologies

Elementary teachers require support through professional learning activities to enhance their climate change literacy and bolster their self-efficacy for teaching climate change. This study explores methods for supporting in-service elementary teachers’ self-efficacy in climate change teaching by examining the impact of professional learning activities that incorporate learning technologies on climate change literacy.

Author/Presenter

Amal Ibourk

Lauren Wagner

Khadija Zogheib

Lead Organization(s)
Year
2024
Short Description

Elementary teachers require support through professional learning activities to enhance their climate change literacy and bolster their self-efficacy for teaching climate change. This study explores methods for supporting in-service elementary teachers’ self-efficacy in climate change teaching by examining the impact of professional learning activities that incorporate learning technologies on climate change literacy.

Ten Years of Three-Dimensional Science and Its Implementation in the Secondary Classroom: A Scoping Review

In the decade following the release of the Next-Generation Science Standards in the United States, many efforts have occurred to reform K-12 science teaching. While not all states have adopted NGSS, 48 of 50 have adopted standards that are consistent with the underlying philosophy and research base of NGSS: three-dimensional (3D) science. This scoping review explores the research activity on classroom implementation of 3D Science in secondary schools in the US.

Author/Presenter

Clara M. Smith

Heather M. Leary

Jamie L. Jensen

Rebecca L. Sansom

Lead Organization(s)
Year
2024
Short Description

In the decade following the release of the Next-Generation Science Standards in the United States, many efforts have occurred to reform K-12 science teaching. While not all states have adopted NGSS, 48 of 50 have adopted standards that are consistent with the underlying philosophy and research base of NGSS: three-dimensional (3D) science. This scoping review explores the research activity on classroom implementation of 3D Science in secondary schools in the US.

Visualizing a Vision for High-Quality, Equitable Math Instruction

In this article, we overview a professional learning task that involves drawing one’s vision for high-quality, equitable mathematics instruction (HQEMI). The task is part of the ongoing work of a statewide research practice partnership that supports a shared vision of mathematics across the state K–12 system. Our work of HQEMI is rooted in the development of Munter’s (2014) four dimensions for visions of high-quality mathematics instruction (VHQMI): the role of the teacher, classroom discourse, mathematical tasks, and student engagement.

Author/Presenter

Katherine Baker

Catherine S. Schwartz

Ashley N. Whitehead

Olufunke Adefope

Lead Organization(s)
Year
2025
Short Description

In this article, we overview a professional learning task that involves drawing one’s vision for high-quality, equitable mathematics instruction (HQEMI). The task is part of the ongoing work of a statewide research practice partnership that supports a shared vision of mathematics across the state K–12 system. Our work of HQEMI is rooted in the development of Munter’s (2014) four dimensions for visions of high-quality mathematics instruction (VHQMI): the role of the teacher, classroom discourse, mathematical tasks, and student engagement. The first three dimensions are particularly useful in the work of the drawing task. In this article, we share an overview of the drawing task, its implementation with educators, and sample drawings, detailing how personal drawings were made visible across participants and the conversations resulting from viewing and reflecting on one another’s drawings.

Visualizing a Vision for High-Quality, Equitable Math Instruction

In this article, we overview a professional learning task that involves drawing one’s vision for high-quality, equitable mathematics instruction (HQEMI). The task is part of the ongoing work of a statewide research practice partnership that supports a shared vision of mathematics across the state K–12 system. Our work of HQEMI is rooted in the development of Munter’s (2014) four dimensions for visions of high-quality mathematics instruction (VHQMI): the role of the teacher, classroom discourse, mathematical tasks, and student engagement.

Author/Presenter

Katherine Baker

Catherine S. Schwartz

Ashley N. Whitehead

Olufunke Adefope

Lead Organization(s)
Year
2025
Short Description

In this article, we overview a professional learning task that involves drawing one’s vision for high-quality, equitable mathematics instruction (HQEMI). The task is part of the ongoing work of a statewide research practice partnership that supports a shared vision of mathematics across the state K–12 system. Our work of HQEMI is rooted in the development of Munter’s (2014) four dimensions for visions of high-quality mathematics instruction (VHQMI): the role of the teacher, classroom discourse, mathematical tasks, and student engagement. The first three dimensions are particularly useful in the work of the drawing task. In this article, we share an overview of the drawing task, its implementation with educators, and sample drawings, detailing how personal drawings were made visible across participants and the conversations resulting from viewing and reflecting on one another’s drawings.

Visualizing a Vision for High-Quality, Equitable Math Instruction

In this article, we overview a professional learning task that involves drawing one’s vision for high-quality, equitable mathematics instruction (HQEMI). The task is part of the ongoing work of a statewide research practice partnership that supports a shared vision of mathematics across the state K–12 system. Our work of HQEMI is rooted in the development of Munter’s (2014) four dimensions for visions of high-quality mathematics instruction (VHQMI): the role of the teacher, classroom discourse, mathematical tasks, and student engagement.

Author/Presenter

Katherine Baker

Catherine S. Schwartz

Ashley N. Whitehead

Olufunke Adefope

Lead Organization(s)
Year
2025
Short Description

In this article, we overview a professional learning task that involves drawing one’s vision for high-quality, equitable mathematics instruction (HQEMI). The task is part of the ongoing work of a statewide research practice partnership that supports a shared vision of mathematics across the state K–12 system. Our work of HQEMI is rooted in the development of Munter’s (2014) four dimensions for visions of high-quality mathematics instruction (VHQMI): the role of the teacher, classroom discourse, mathematical tasks, and student engagement. The first three dimensions are particularly useful in the work of the drawing task. In this article, we share an overview of the drawing task, its implementation with educators, and sample drawings, detailing how personal drawings were made visible across participants and the conversations resulting from viewing and reflecting on one another’s drawings.