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Five key professional development features: content focus, active learning, coherence, duration, collective participation

Design · All designs
Evidence · 1 claim (1 for) · 1 study (1 causal), q4 · 1 of 1 report an effect size · 1 claim rests on one study

Description

The article enumerates the course's key features associated with increasing student achievement: "(a) in-depth focus on science content; (b) opportunities for teachers to engage in active learning; (c) coherence and alignment between the teacher curriculum and standards-based student curricula; (d) substantial duration and length of contact time, 24 hours over five days; and (e) a process of collective participation during which teachers engage in professional discourse and critical reflection." The course is built around hands-on science investigations and discussions of narrative teaching cases drawn from actual classroom episodes.

Design Implications

Context

Requirements

  • Contact time of 20 hours or more, per the duration evidence the article cites

Constraints

  • The evidence regarding the necessity of extended school-year activities is not conclusive, per the article

Target Learners

  • middle school science teachers

Learning Goals

  • science content knowledge
  • pedagogical content knowledge
  • science literacy instruction

Claims

Examples

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Key Sources

  • Heller, J.I. (2012). Effects of Making Sense of SCIENCE™ professional development on the achievement of middle school students, including English language learners. (NCEE 2012-4002). Washington, DC: National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education. http://ncee.ed.gov
Page metadata
Field Value
type design
id msos-five-pd-design-features
title Five key professional development features: content focus, active learning, coherence, duration, collective participation
description The article enumerates the course's key features associated with increasing student achievement: "(a) in-depth focus on science content; (b) opportunities for teachers to engage in active learning; (c) coherence and a...
status review
generated by process:settle-candidates on 2026-11-02
trust unverified — no one has confirmed this page's content
sources 1 — heller-2012

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