The purpose of this paper is to describe teacher outcomes from participating in an intensive science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) professional learning (PL) initiative for middle school science teachers in the United States. The initiative included intensive summer coursework and ongoing support (e.g., individual coaching,…

National Science Foundation (NSF) funded Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) programs provide opportunities for professional development for teachers. The goal of the RET site at North Dakota State University (NDSU), established in May 2020 (NSF Awards #1953102 and #2224135), was to increase the knowledge of secondary (6th to 12th grade)…

Studies suggest several key aspects of STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) integration for teachers, but translating the findings and recommendations of these studies into fruitful changes in teachers' classroom practices remains a challenge. In this study, an assessment of teachers participated in an intensive professional…

As change agents at our university, we sought to facilitate a transition within our STEM college toward more extensive use of evidence-based instructional practices (EBIPs) that promote student-centered learning. We sought a multifaceted approach for this challenge, with the goal of achieving lasting change among the faculty, resulting in the…

Visual representations, such as pathway models, are increasingly being used to both communicate higher education science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education program evaluation plans as well as accurately represent complex programs and the systems within which the educational programs reside. However, these representations…

Social, motivational, and instructional factors impact students' outcomes in STEM learning and their career paths. Based on prior research and expectancy-value theory, the study further explored how multiple factors affect students in the context of integrated STEM learning. High school STEM teachers participated in summer professional development…

With ongoing efforts in the United States to further develop the availability of computer science education in the public schools, federal, state, and local educational agencies are increasing efforts to encourage and promote the inclusion of computer science and programming skills in the middle school curriculum (Grover, Pea, & Cooper, 2015).…

In our data-rich world, there are strong calls for greater focus on data literacy as increasingly, 21st century jobs require some level of data literacy. Data literacy is inherently STEM integration, especially when working with real-world scenarios, as it requires bringing math and technology into the science classroom to interpret and engage…

The Project Citizen Research Program (PCRP) was a three-year research initiative that evaluated the effectiveness of the Center's Project Citizen teacher professional development (PD) program and curriculum intervention for middle and high school students. The program took place over three academic years that were impacted by the COVID-19…

In recent decades much attention has been given to the optimization of professional development to support education reform; especially as it relates to science, engineering, technology and mathematics (STEM) fields. Many studies have shown that the most effective STEM professional development programs include active inquiry opportunities that…

We present results from a meta-analysis of 95 experimental and quasi-experimental pre-K-12 science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) professional development and curriculum programs, seeking to understand what content, activities, and formats relate to stronger student outcomes. Across rigorously conducted studies, we found an…

The GoSTEAM program promotes authentic integration of the arts into PreK-12 computer science, engineering, and invention instruction. STEM and arts teachers come together to form STEAM Innovation Teams in collaboration with university-based coaches and creative Innovators-in-Residence. Starting with a STEAM professional development summer…

How should teachers spend their STEM-focused professional learning time? To answer this question, Heather Hill, Kathleen Lynch, Kathryn Gonzalez, and Cynthia Pollard analyzed a recent wave of rigorous new studies of STEM instructional improvement programs. They found that programs work best when focused on building knowledge teachers can use…

Increasing emphasis on students' understanding of the practices of science and engineering necessitates that teachers themselves possess a strong understanding of these practices. Unfortunately, a teacher's potentially limited engagement in science and engineering practices throughout his or her own education may impede his or her understanding of…

The research experience for teachers (RET) professional development was a six-week long summer-intensive National Science Foundation (NSF) funded project that took place at a large university in western Texas. It was designed to provide a research-rich learning environment in data science and cybersecurity for STEM teachers in the region, which is…