Professional Development of Science Teachers: History of Reform and Contributions of the STS-Based Iowa Chautauqua Program

During the last quarter of a century, it became abundantly clear that the desired reforms in science teaching and learning could not be accomplished without significant professional development of in-service science teachers. Yet, there was a dearth of effective professional development models that could lead to the kind of instructional reforms desired. It was soon realized that professional development itself must undergo significant reform. New guidelines for professional development began to be developed in order to reform it. We trace the history of this reform and describe a model that emerged as an exemplar of the new guidelines. This model has been used extensively in the USA and in many other countries of the world. The characteristics of the model, research related to its effectiveness and impact, and its implementation around the world are presented. (Contains 1 figure, 2 tables and 1 note.)