Supporting and Resourcing Secondary Science Teachers in Rural and Regional Schools

This paper reports on the outcomes of a pilot project to support secondary teachers of science in rural and regional Tasmania. The pilot project involved eight regional schools and was based on the provision of a kit of materials and an associated learning program that used brine shrimp or "sea-monkeys" to test for water quality. The unit was developed as one of a number of small projects organised by the Tasmanian SiMERR Hub. It involved collaboration between staff from two faculties at the University of Tasmania (UTAS): the Faculty of Science and the Faculty of Education. Two local secondary teachers were seconded to develop the teaching materials. The outcomes of the project were that, while the teachers appreciated the resource materials, there were some barriers which reduced the effectiveness of this approach to supporting the professional development (PD) of teachers. The findings are then considered in the context of relevant literature concerning teacher PD and the effective use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to support the PD of teachers in rural and regional areas. (Contains 1 table.)