Todd R. Kelley|J. Geoff Knowles|Jeffrey D. Holland|Jung H. Han
Increasing high school teachers self-efficacy for integrated STEM instruction through a collaborative community of practice
Purdue University West Lafayette|Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana|Purdue University West Lafayette|Purdue University West Lafayette
abstract background teachers significant impact student interest learning science technology engineering math stem subjects careers teacher selfefficacy also significantly affect student learning researchers investigated effects teacher professional development integrated stem curriculum development teacher selfefficacy participants study included high school science engineering technology teachers enrolled national science foundationitest project called teachers researchers advancing integrated lessons stem trails trails program sought prepare teachers integrate stem content using engineering design biomimicry science inquiry 3d printing pedagogical approaches teachers learned within community practice working alongside industry partners college faculty purpose study investigate impact 70 h professional development train three cohorts teachers 3 years teacher selfefficacy research design utilized quasiexperimental nonequivalent control group approach including experimental group untreated control group results measurements beliefs teacher selfefficacy collected pretest posttest delayed posttest survey assessments researchers analyzed tstem survey results teaching selfefficacy using wilcoxson signedrank test detecting significant differences science teachers showed significant increase teacher selfefficacy comparing pretest delayed posttest scores trails professional development stem lesson implementation p 001 effect size 95 additionally significant differences groups science experimental vs science control group teachers using wilcoxon ranksum test detected pretest posttest p 033 effect size 46 posttest delayed posttest p 029 effect size 47 pretest delayed posttest p 005 effect size 64 significant differences detected control group engineering technology teachers showed significant differences pretest posttest delayed posttest selfefficacy scores conclusions results indicate science teachers selfefficacy increased professional development lesson implementation potential implications research suggest science teacher participants benefited greatly learning within community practice engaging science practices using science knowledge solve realworld problem engineering design