Preschool Teacher Professional Development in STEM Education: A Scoping Review

• In Event: Exploring Computational Thinking and STEM Education in Early Childhood: Collaborative Partnerships With Diverse Stakeholders

Abstract

STEM education is a global priority for fostering learners' scientific and technological innovation capabilities. The preschool stage, as the foundational phase for implementing STEM education, is gaining increased attention from experts and scholars (Brenneman et al., 2019). Preschool teachers are pivotal in successfully integrating STEM education into their curricula. While STEM teacher professional development (TPD) programs thrive in K-12 contexts (Huang et al., 2022), there is a noticeable scarcity in the preschool context.

This scoping review systematically explores and maps out the existing literature on STEM-focused professional development for preschool teachers using the framework proposed by Arksey and O'Malley (2005). Relevant keywords were used to search databases in Google Scholar, Scopus, Web of Science, ProQuest, PubMed, and EBSCO Host, covering January 2012 and May 2024. The initial database search identified 2,743 records on related topics. After removing 384 duplicated items, 2,359 articles remained. The authors screened all abstracts to assess eligibility, resulting in nine articles that met the inclusion criteria. Additionally, a follow-up hand search identified another two relevant journal articles. Ultimately, 11 potential articles were included in this scoping review.

The results indicate that STEM preschool TPD programs provide mostly instructional and content knowledge, with fewer programs addressing technical content knowledge and technological pedagogical content knowledge. Most studies used a mixed-method approach to professional development, incorporating seminars, professional learning communities, and reflective learning activities. These methods emphasize teachers' active participation in the process, establish connections between content and classroom practice, and encourage collective participation in developing expertise.

Based on the findings, a comprehensive STEM preschool teacher professional development framework is proposed. This framework recognizes the interconnectedness of learning activities, coaching, and classroom implementation, ultimately leading to advancements in teachers' knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs. The insights gained from this scoping review underscore the critical need for robust and targeted professional development programs for preschool teachers in STEM education. Addressing these gaps can enable educators and policymakers to design more effective training programs that better equip preschool teachers to foster a new generation of scientifically and technologically literate learners.

Authors

• Sha Xie, Shenzhen University

• Siman Yang, Shenzhen University

• Ning Lin, Shenzhen University

• Qing Luo, Shenzhen University

• Huiqi Li, Shenzhen University

• Yuying Situ, Shenzhen University