This deliverable, D2.4 Professional Development of Educators: Considerations and Strategies synthesises a range of previous findings from EU-funded projects and wider literature with an original survey to identify a) the perspectives on effective, creative science pedagogy and practice of a range of stakeholders, and b) good practice in the education and development of teachers in creative and inquiry-led pedagogies. These findings are drawn together using the essential features of creativity in education and inquiry-led learning identified in CREATIONS deliverable D2.1.
The deliverable is divided into four sections. Section 1 describes the design, methodology and data analysis procedures of the online survey. The survey sought perspectives on the relationship between science and creativity, the purpose of science education and the role of creativity within it, the inclusion of creativity and inquiry-learning in teacher education and development programmes and their impact, the affordances and challenges of engaging with creative and inquiry-led pedagogies, and the training educators desired to support them. Respondents were drawn from teachers, scientists, teacher educators, CPD providers and informal science educators.
Section 2 explores the survey findings and draws out the different stakeholders’ perceptions about what an effective, creative science educator would need to do, to what purpose, and with what education and training. Section 2.1 analyses the ‘scientific creativity’ scale developed in the survey, all groups in all countries identified a strong relationship between science and creativity, and the need to teach to develop this. The exception was with a small group of secondary teachers in England and in Malta, who were much more strongly focused on teaching for scientific knowledge. Question posing and problem solving were identified as key elements in scientific creativity, with developing the ability to ask appropriate questions dominating the top rankings in the purpose of science education. This has important implications for the key professional development aims for educators in teaching for creativity in science. The CREATIONS features of balance and navigation, possibilities, and empowerment and agency are fundamental in negotiating teaching for creativity and scientific knowledge through creative pedagogies. Section 2.2 draws on qualitative survey data and describes the benefits and challenges in using creativities pedagogies of the type proposed for the CREATIONS demonstrators in the context of the CREATIONS features of creative education. Section 2.3 describes educators’ perceptions about what makes good educator development in creative science education, drawing on their experiences and perceived needs. Four broad themes were identified: The learner environment and experience, content of provision, quality of provision and peer support and learning community. Of particular interest was the evidence that educators are much more likely to have been trained in IBSE than in teaching for creativity in science, and that professional development in creative pedagogies had had less impact.
In Section 3, findings from previous EU projects are synthesised to identify good practice in teacher development programmes in IBSE. Of particular note is the need to develop materials that can be used flexibly in different international contexts and for different purposes. Provision should be affordable, evidence-based, rigorous, concise and accessible, combined with opportunities for practical experience, implementation, reflection and further development. It should have clear opportunities for measurable impact on student outcomes, with support for how to assess this impact, and enable networking, reflection, and the development of subject and pedagogical content knowledge.
Section 4 summarises the conclusions of the study with respect to considerations and strategies for effective professional development for educators in teaching for scientific creativity and considers the implications of these findings for the different groups of respondents: teachers, scientists, informal science educators and science teacher educators/professional development providers.
Educational Object File