Cultivating Teachers for STEAM Education

A special issue of Education Sciences (ISSN 2227-7102). This special issue belongs to the section "STEM Education".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2025 | Viewed by 1537

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
School of Inclusive Teacher Education, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH, USA
Interests: STEM education; STEAM education; teacher preparation

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Inclusive Teacher Education, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH, USA
Interests: teacher professional development; coaching and mentoring; teacher preparation; STEM education

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Inclusive Teacher Education, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH, USA
Interests: preservice science teacher education; transdisciplinary learning; STEAM education

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We use the term “STEAM Education” to refer to both discipline specific (e.g., science education, mathematics education, technology education, etc.) and integrated approaches to supporting teachers who teach STEAM topics. Supporting the development of teachers for teaching STEAM is  necessary and complex (Nadelson et al., 2013). STEAM education can refer to the collective siloes of science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics, and also to an integrated approach to teaching. STEAM can also include computational thinking, computer science, and humanities. As approaches and programs are diverse, teachers must be supported and provided professional learning opportunities (Brand, 2020; Chai et al., 2019; Williams et al., 2019). Teacher education programs have also headed the call to prepare STEAM teachers within teacher preparation programs, certificates, foci of graduate programs including masters and doctoral work. Gaps still exist in how teachers are supported in becoming STEAM teachers, both siloed and integrated, in both teacher education (e.g., Nesmith and Cooper, 2020) and in in-service professional learning (Brand, 2020; Chai et al., 2019; Williams et al., 2019).

Thus, the purpose of this Special Issue is to highlight work in STEAM teacher education, including preservice teacher preparation and in-service teacher learning in both discipline-specific and integrated STEAM education. This Special Issue provides the opportunity to present original empirical research, conceptual pieces, evaluation of innovations in STEAM teacher learning, and research-to-practice articles. Potential paper themes include (but are not limited to) the following:

  • Coaching and mentoring of STEAM teachers – sustained support/ job embedded professional learning
  • The role of professional learning in dismantling oppressive practices in STEAM education
  • Transformative STEAM programs as a result of professional learning programs
  • Professional development projects
  • Undergraduate and/ or graduate preparation of STEAM teachers
  • STEAM certificate or endorsement programs
  • Alternative routes to STEAM teacher preparation
  • Preparation and support of special education educators in STEAM

Dr. Thomas Roberts
Dr. Stefanie Livers
Dr. Holly Plank
Guest Editors

Reference

Nadelson, L. S., Callahan, J., Pyke, P., Hay, A., Dance, M., & Pfiester, J. (2013). Teacher STEM perception and preparation: Inquiry-based STEM professional development for elementary teachers. The Journal of Educational Research, 106(2), 157-168.

Brand, B. R. (2020). Integrating science and engineering practices: outcomes from a collaborative professional development. International Journal of STEM Education, 7, 1-13.

Chai, C. S., Jong, M., Yin, H. B., Chen, M., & Zhou, W. (2019). Validating and modelling teachers’ technological pedagogical content knowledge for integrative science, technology, engineering and Mathemat-ics education. Journal of Educational Technology & Society, 22(3), 61-73.

Williams, T., Singer, J., Krikorian, J., Rakes, C., & Ross, J. (2019). Measuring pedagogy and the integration of engineering design in STEM classrooms. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 28, 179-194.

Nesmith, S. M., & Cooper, S. (2020). Elementary STEM learning. In Handbook of research on STEM education (pp. 101-114). Routledge.

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Keywords

  • STEAM teacher education
  • STEAM professional development
  • mathematics teacher education
  • science teacher education
  • engineering education
  • technology education
  • transdisciplinary learning
  • integrated content
  • computational thinking

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

23 pages, 494 KiB  
Article
Exploring Croatian In-Service Primary Teachers’ Professional Attitudes Toward Science Using the Dimensions of Attitude Toward Science (DAS)
by Nataša Erceg and Tatjana Ivošević
Educ. Sci. 2025, 15(6), 692; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci15060692 - 3 Jun 2025
Viewed by 381
Abstract
Teachers holding positive professional attitudes towards science is a key prerequisite for high-quality teaching and consequently for the sustainability of ongoing science education reform, which is being implemented in Croatia for the first time. Therefore, this cross-sectional study examined the attitudes, views, and [...] Read more.
Teachers holding positive professional attitudes towards science is a key prerequisite for high-quality teaching and consequently for the sustainability of ongoing science education reform, which is being implemented in Croatia for the first time. Therefore, this cross-sectional study examined the attitudes, views, and self-reported behaviour of primary school teachers in the context of science teaching. The sample included 950 teachers during the 2024/2025 school year. Data were collected using the DAS questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistical methods. Most teachers expressed positive professional attitudes toward science teaching and held, broadly defined, a contemporary view of science. However, the frequency of implementing science-specific teaching activities remained relatively low. Correlational analyses revealed a moderate positive association between attitudes and behaviour (r = 0.396, p < 0.001), and a weak but statistically significant association between attitudes and views of science (ρ = 0.081, p = 0.012). The results indicate the need for systematic support in teacher education and professional development, particularly in strengthening teachers’ competencies required for conducting science-related activities. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of teachers’ professional orientations within the context of Croatia’s current educational reform and provides a foundation for aligning national practice with European evidence-based educational policies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cultivating Teachers for STEAM Education)
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