Prepared for the Future? What a Literature Review Reveals About K–12 STEM Professional Development Programs

• In Event: 77.037 - Dilemmas and Promising Practices for STEM Teaching

Abstract

An international emphasis on STEM brings new challenges to those who design and study professional development (PD) programs. This review was conducted to guide educators who design and study STEM PD programs. Empirical studies on STEM PD programs were examined from a 13-year period, with a focus on the knowledge and practices of teachers. Framing this review was the concept of transfer, which looked at how programs are designed to support the interdisciplinary learning of teachers. An analysis of the identified studies revealed: 1) limited attention to the integration of the STEM disciplinary areas, 2) limited research in the area of teacher knowledge and practice, and 3) wicked problems that limit the implementation and study of STEM PD programs.

Authors

• Julie A. Luft, University of Georgia

• Jaime Marie Diamond, University of Georgia

• Dorothy Y. White, University of Georgia

• Chunlei Zhang, East China Normal University

• Robert Idsardi, Eastern Washington University