A role for professional development in sustainability: linking the written curriculum to enactment

Learning Sciences researchers have a tradition of developing inquiry-oriented and technology-rich curriculum materials, often in the context of design-based research on learning. But what becomes of the materials developed after the research is completed? A key challenge for the Learning Sciences is to address the issue of sustainability for the materials we develop. Professional development (PD) can help teachers make adaptations to the written curriculum while maintaining its integrity. We examine empirical data from a study of PD in the context of inquiry-oriented curricular reform to show how PD aligned with written curriculum and informed by enacted curriculum can influence teachers' practice in ways that are consistent with the goals of the curriculum designers. We conclude with a model for PD design informed both by the written and enacted curriculum to facilitate teacher planning that allows for adaptations that maintain fidelity to the curriculum design.