Improving the balance between theory and practice: New insights from professional development courses about teaching thinking and metacognition

To improve the balance between theoretical knowledge and practical scripts in professional development we studied 26 leading science teachers’ knowledge about thinking and metacognition. We used a mixed methods instrument (Teachers’ Knowledge of Thinking and Metacognition) to examine teachers’ knowledge before and after a course; and a case study method to analyze one teacher’s developing knowledge. We found progress in teachers’ use of thinking strategies, metacognition and pedagogical knowledge; and uncovered how one teacher learned to combine science content with thinking strategies and use metacognition in a stable way. Implications for improving the balance between theory and practice in future PD are discussed.