Breaking barriers : supporting Maltese chemistry teachers through a teacher learning community

Abstract

Student-centred approaches have been associated with deeper learning and improved interest in science. The chemistry curriculum and the pedagogies used in the chemistry classroom in Malta and other countries are often traditional and emphasise content delivery. This exploratory study focused on the way teachers learn and how they approach and feel about making changes to their teaching towards a more student-centred approach. A teacher learning community of four chemistry teachers was formed. Focus groups and reflective journals were used to generate data. Results show how teachers appraise the nature and content of different kinds of professional development sessions and how the community helped teachers with different epistemological beliefs to move along the teacher-centred to student-centred continuum.