Kehittämistutkimus: Opettajan ammatillisen kehittymisen tutkimusperustainen tukeminen käyttäen SOLO-taksonomiaa - esimerkkinä tutkimuksellinen kokeellinen kemian opetus

Both nationally and internationally, teachers’ professional development is a current research topic. According to international teaching and learning survey TALIS, Finnish teachers’ interest to participate in long-lasting in-service teacher training programs, focusing on professional development, is decreasing. In order to implement inquiry-based practical work into classroom practice, new in-service training models are needed. This thesis examines the design and development process of a professional training course, which implemented the SOLO-taxonomy. The training course was meant for chemistry teachers working at the upper-secondary school and it focused on inquiry-based chemistry instruction. The research was done using design research. The main research questions were formed according to the three central areas of design research (Edelson, 2002): 1) Problem analysis: What kind of challenges does inquiry-based practical chemistry bring to chemistry teachers at the upper secondary school? 2) Design process: What kind of possibilities and challenges does the SOLO-taxonomy offer for the support of inquiry-based practical chemistry instruction? 3) Design solution: What are the characteristics of teachers’ professional development that promotes inquiry-based practice in chemistry at the upper secondary school? The eight-phase design research employed qualitative research methods, including observations, surveys and interviews. The data was analyzed using content analysis. From this data, two main research results were obtained. First, information was obtained on the implementation of inquiry-based chemistry into practice, and about teachers’ professional development using the SOLO-taxonomy. Second, information on the characteristics of research-based training model promoting inquiry-based practical chemistry instruction was obtained. The findings show that inquiry is challenging for teachers due to its constructivist view on learning, teachers’ inexperience to act in modern learning environments and not practicing implementing inquiry in the classroom during training. The findings also show that using the SOLO-taxonomy supported professional development in many ways. For example, it worked as a tool in designing and modifying written instructions, it motivated teachers to develop their practices, it increased teachers’ ownership to the produced written instructions, it supported teachers’ understanding of inquiry and it acted as a model to support higher-order thinking skills. The created research-based training model, meant to promote inquiry in practical chemistry instruction, was based on a theoretical and empirical problem analysis. The main features incorporated into the training model are (i) personalized learning which considers the teachers’ current knowledge (ii) expanding teacher’s role from merely a dispenser of knowledge to the roles of a researcher and a learner, (iii) using a theoretical framework to support research-based instruction, higher-order thinking skills and interaction-based sharing of ideas, (iv) creating meaningful inquiry-based material, done using the SOLOtaxonomy, (v) peer-support (vi) reflection and incorporation of action research, (vii) practicing implementing inquiry-based practical work, which is of collaborative and cognitive nature increasing understanding of the nature of science. The research results show that teachers need training models of various durations. If the teachers’ view on learning is congruous with the inquiry-based approach, they can begin to practice the implementation of inquiry already during a short training. However, if the teacher’s view on learning does not support constructive learning methods, the accommodation process requires more time. The research results of this doctoral dissertation can be applied (i) in the implementation of new national core curriculum, (ii) in planning and designing new learning material for inquiry-based practical chemistry (iii) in training that supports teachers’ life-long learning and (iv) in international exportation of education.