The Role of Digital Curation in Science Teacher Professional Development

Abstract

This chapter discusses the goals of digital curation as an educational practice in K-12 science education in the digital age and presents a model for science teachers' professional development through digital curation. The model proposed in this chapter was developed during a multiple-case study with the participation of 44 science teachers. The model outlines a path to enabling teachers to learn and practice curation as a teaching and learning practice and later to direct and apply curation in their classrooms. In addition, it offers guidelines for enabling teachers to practice thinking skills, such as making pedagogical decisions and defining teaching goals, through the digital curation process as a professional learning method: (1) teacher professional learning goals, (2) pedagogical-practical goals, (3) social and cooperative goals, (4) teacher personal goals. This model can be applied to science teachers' professional development and teacher training courses.