Chapter 2: Effective Professional Development—What We Now Know

There have been increased calls from around the world for greater commitments designing professional development (PD) opportunities for practicing teachers. major forces are propelling this increased attention on PD: the education standards, professional organizations, and a call for research on teaching., the standards movement in education has highlighted the professional of teachers. Higher standards for both teachers and students have been by content area specialists and learned societies (National Association Sport and Physical Education [NASPE], 2002, 2004). The National Board for Teaching Standards (NBPTS) created a certifi cation process based on a of assessments concerning teaching and student learning in physical education. is voluntary and teachers who pass often view this as a positive PD. The National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) established performance-based standards for the preparation of preservice and-service teachers that teacher preparation programs strive to achieve. NASPE 8 addresses becoming a “refl ective practitioner and its contribution to professional development . . .” (NASPE, 2003, p. 17). The standards movement affected PD programs in physical education. Providing different and better experiences for children raises the expectations we have for children the teachers who teach them. Professional development opportunities are seen critical mechanisms to facilitate teacher learning.