Developing, Delivering and Evaluating Teacher Professional Learning for a New School-Leaving Physics Syllabus using Action Research

We discuss innovations in design and delivery of a laboratory-based Teacher Professional Learning (TPL) workshop for Year 12 Physics. We describe how we applied best-practice guidelines in Action Research (AR) methodology to the design, delivery and evaluation of our TPL, to enhance quality and best meet our teachers' needs. During the workshop, the task of collecting data was divided up among groups, and data collated and shared online for analysis. This enabled teachers to conduct more experiments than would normally be possible in the time available. We incorporated Peer Instruction (PI) questions into laboratory instructions to stimulate reflection and discussion, and made experimental instructions, shared data, PI questions, and photographs/videos available as a flexible package of resources for use in the classroom. We offer advice on employing shared data-collection and writing and using PI questions in TPL workshops or student laboratories.