Stem Teacher Development Overview

Principles

Definition

Stem teacher development is a field of academic inquiry and professional practice focused on the systematic processes, programs, and policies designed to enhance the knowledge, skills, and pedagogical expertise of educators teaching science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines, investigating effective professional learning models to improve instructional quality and student outcomes in STEM.

Ontological type

Professional Learning Designs

Pedagogical Content Knowledge

Core Models

Key developments

Key Figures

Engineering-Integrated Pedagogy era

Tamara Moore [1] is a scholar whose work in this era is linked with the University of Minnesota [3] and the University of Maryland, College Park [4]. Her key contributions, reflected in the 2012 papers Considerations for Teaching Integrated STEM Education [6] and Is Adding the E Enough? Investigating the Impact of K-12 Engineering Standards on the Implementation of STEM Integration [7], illuminate how integrated STEM and engineering standards shape classroom practice and policy translation, underscoring the importance of coherent standards for fidelity of integration. Gillian Roehrig [2] is a scholar linked with the University of Minnesota [3] and the University of Minnesota System [5] during this era. Her contributions, captured in the same 2012 papers Considerations for Teaching Integrated STEM Education [6] and Is Adding the E Enough? Investigating the Impact of K-12 Engineering Standards on the Implementation of STEM Integration [7], emphasize teacher conceptions, knowledge, and beliefs as levers for improving integration fidelity in engineering-focused pedagogy.

Teacher Readiness and PD era

Yeping Li [1] is associated with East China University of Science and Technology [3] and Texas A&M University [4] in this era. Li [1] authored Problematizing teaching and learning mathematics as “given” in STEM education [6], a paper that challenges assumptions about math being fixed in STEM and underscores the role of targeted PD for equity-oriented reform. Alan H. Schoenfeld [2] is affiliated with University of California, Berkeley [5] in this era. Schoenfeld [2] co-authored the same paper Problematizing teaching and learning mathematics as “given” in STEM education [6], illustrating a shared emphasis on reforming math instruction through critical inquiry and teacher-ready PD in this period.

Design-Infused Professional Development era

Chun-Yen Chang [1], with ties to National Taiwan University [3] and Anhui Medical University [4], exemplifies this era. Key contributions include evidence of STEM enactment effectiveness in Asian student learning outcomes [7] and measuring teachers' perceptions to sustain STEM education development [8], shaping how TPCK/PCK-informed practice can emerge from design-based PD. Bevo Wahono [2], affiliated with National Taiwan Normal University [5] and Universitas Jember [6], contributed to the evidence base on STEM enactment effectiveness in Asian student learning outcomes [7]. This work, anchored in Evidence of STEM enactment effectiveness in Asian student learning outcomes [7], helped normalize engineering design and interdisciplinary literacy in classrooms during 2020-2023.