Chapter 23
Time as Topic Transversal Perspective
in Teacher Professional Development Carry
Out in the Master in Science Education
Marisa Michelini and Emanuela Vidic
Abstract Teachers professional development in the scientific field is a complex
problem. With the aim to improve scientific learning, eight Italian Universities
worked together to offer qualified and innovative formative interventions in science
for kindergarten, primary and low secondary school teachers through a biennial
Master in Science Education. An important characteristic of the model implemented
in Udine University is the interdisciplinary approach as a result of preliminary
disciplinary exploration of topics and problems with cultural and social relevance.
This work presents the educational project on the theme of time, designed and
experimented in primary school, which develops transversal perspective on the
subject more and which is proposed as reproducible and innovative for learning.
23.1 Introduction
Teachers professional development in the scientific field is a complex problem
where different aspects are important: limited disciplinary competences, traditional
ways of addressing scientific issues, lack of expertise in grasping the opportunities
and situations that allow to engage scientific learning on phenomenological contexts
(Berger et al. 2008; Borko 2004; Buckberger et al. 2000). Professional development
of in-service teachers, therefore, represents the possibility of improving student
learning, renewing the curriculum, and introducing didactic and methodological
innovation research based results (Ball and Cohen 1999; Calderhead 1996).
With the aim to improve scientific learning, the eight Italian Universities of
Genova, Milano, Torino, Modena, Reggio Emilia, Napoli, Palermo and Udine
M. Michelini (*)
Physics Education Research Unit, DMIF, University of Udine, Udine, Italy
e-mail: marisa.michelini@uniud.it
E. Vidic
Primary School of Attimis, Istituto Comprensivo di Faedis, Udine Tutor of the Faculty of
Primary Education, University of Udine, Udine, Italy
e-mail: emanuela.vidic@uniud.it
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
B. G. Sidharth et al. (eds.), Fundamental Physics and Physics Education Research,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-52923-9_23
283
Time as Topic Transversal Perspective
in Teacher Professional Development Carry
Out in the Master in Science Education
Marisa Michelini and Emanuela Vidic
Abstract Teachers professional development in the scientific field is a complex
problem. With the aim to improve scientific learning, eight Italian Universities
worked together to offer qualified and innovative formative interventions in science
for kindergarten, primary and low secondary school teachers through a biennial
Master in Science Education. An important characteristic of the model implemented
in Udine University is the interdisciplinary approach as a result of preliminary
disciplinary exploration of topics and problems with cultural and social relevance.
This work presents the educational project on the theme of time, designed and
experimented in primary school, which develops transversal perspective on the
subject more and which is proposed as reproducible and innovative for learning.
23.1 Introduction
Teachers professional development in the scientific field is a complex problem
where different aspects are important: limited disciplinary competences, traditional
ways of addressing scientific issues, lack of expertise in grasping the opportunities
and situations that allow to engage scientific learning on phenomenological contexts
(Berger et al. 2008; Borko 2004; Buckberger et al. 2000). Professional development
of in-service teachers, therefore, represents the possibility of improving student
learning, renewing the curriculum, and introducing didactic and methodological
innovation research based results (Ball and Cohen 1999; Calderhead 1996).
With the aim to improve scientific learning, the eight Italian Universities of
Genova, Milano, Torino, Modena, Reggio Emilia, Napoli, Palermo and Udine
M. Michelini (*)
Physics Education Research Unit, DMIF, University of Udine, Udine, Italy
e-mail: marisa.michelini@uniud.it
E. Vidic
Primary School of Attimis, Istituto Comprensivo di Faedis, Udine Tutor of the Faculty of
Primary Education, University of Udine, Udine, Italy
e-mail: emanuela.vidic@uniud.it
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
B. G. Sidharth et al. (eds.), Fundamental Physics and Physics Education Research,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-52923-9_23
283