Practice Brief

Science Teachers' Learning (Brief)

Book cover: Science Teachers' Learning (Brief)
Board on Science Education
December 2015 | National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
Book cover: Science Teachers' Learning (Brief)

The National Academy of Sciences published this report, which calls for schools and districts to strengthen teachers’ professional development in ways that support science education as envisioned by the Next Generation Science Standards and similar state standards. The following are recommendations for practice and policy:

  • Take stock of the current status of learning opportunities for science teachers.
  • Design a portfolio of coherent learning experiences for science teachers that attends to teachers’ individual and context-specific needs.
  • Consider both specialized professional learning programs outside of school and opportunities for science teachers’ learning embedded in the workday.
  • Design and select learning opportunities for science teachers that are informed by the best available research.
  • Develop internal capacity in science while seeking external partners with science expertise.
  • Create, evaluate, and revise policies and practices that encourage teachers to engage in professional learning related to science.
  • Explore the potential of new formats and media to support science teachers’ learning when appropriate.