THE IMPACT OF TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ON SCIENCE ACHIEVEMENT: INSIGHTS FROM UAE TIMSS 2015

This study aims to investigate the impact of professional development components, content focus, active learning, and coherence -on the science Achievement of students in UAE Schools using the data from the 2015 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study.The study seeks to answer which elements of professional development are the most beneficial for constructivist science practices.The sample comprised of 200 teachers who were quantitatively analyzed using Smart PLS statistical software for structural equation modeling.The results demonstrate a positive connection between the active learning strategies used for the professional development of teachers and the students' science learning, suggesting student-centered learning strategies to be effective in the academic context.Nevertheless, the areas pertaining to content focus and coherence which were traditionally regarded as being central aspects of the professional development process did not reveal any significant relationships to science achievement in this context.These results imply that while subject matter knowledge as well as aligned PD are necessary, they may not lead to better student outcomes unless teachers are given agency to use active and participatory teaching strategies.Furthermore, this study highlights the need for development of active-learning components in the professional development programs and for policies facilitating such learning in practice.The findings articulate the ongoing discussion on most beneficial approaches towards enhancement of education, particularly in sciences in this case, within the context of UAE.