Professional Curriculum Development: Models for Transforming Teaching Science

Abstract

The current study sought to cement the place and impact of transformational learning models by linking theory and practice through the existing curriculum frameworks for science teachers. Through a review of the existing literature, the study screened past studied to identify the critical steps in curriculum development's transformational models. The initial search identified 102 studies published in the last five years. The studies were further screened based on inclusion criteria that incorporated transformational models of learning and teacher's professional development in today's schools. A second screening led to the exclusion of 87 studies whose statistical data analyses were not adequate to generalize the results. The quality of methodology approaches in the screened studies was also assessed and reported on a 7-item-Likert scale. The last screening included 14 studies that were systematically reviewed.  The study results depicted that transformational learning models in teaching science were glued in four significant steps, that is, offering a dialogue on past research, authenticating teachers' personal beliefs and experiences, designing assessment, and curriculum development. The study's findings show that transformational learning models equip learners with real scientific concepts that can be easily applied in real-world scenarios.