Reasoning and self generated representations in developing understanding: Implications for chemistry teacher education and learning

Effective professional development involves the exploration of building cultures of evidence and collaboration that is transformative and revitalizing because of a focus on teachers’ practice and student learning, and, developing deeper meanings of changes for the social organisation of daily practice and work in schools. It includes utilizing representational reasoning as students verify and justify their thinking in their learning with a collaborative model for chemistry teachers’ professional learning and links this learning with approaches to improving student reasoning and understanding using student -generated representations. A professional learning community model premised on coaching, mentoring and feedback, known as the Collaborative Teacher Learning Model (CTLM) transforms teachers.