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Education Sciences
Special Issues
Cultivating Teachers for STEAM Education
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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 2053

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Thomas Roberts

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Inclusive Teacher Education, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH, USA
Interests: STEM education; STEAM education; teacher preparation
Dr. Stefanie Livers

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
Dr. Holly Plank

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.

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Education Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

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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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 1251 KiB  
Article
From Classroom to Community: Evaluating Data Science Practices in Education and Social Justice Projects
by Marc T. Sager, Jeanna R. Wieselmann and Anthony J. Petrosino
Educ. Sci. 2025, 15(7), 878; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci15070878 - 9 Jul 2025
Viewed by 357
Abstract
Critical data literacy (CDL) has emerged as a crucial component in data science education, transcending traditional disciplinary boundaries. Promoting CDL requires collaborative approaches to enhance learners’ skills in data science, going beyond mere quantitative reasoning to encompass a comprehensive understanding of data workflows [...] Read more.
Critical data literacy (CDL) has emerged as a crucial component in data science education, transcending traditional disciplinary boundaries. Promoting CDL requires collaborative approaches to enhance learners’ skills in data science, going beyond mere quantitative reasoning to encompass a comprehensive understanding of data workflows and tools. Despite the growing literature on CDL, there is still a need to explore how students use data science practices for supporting the learning of CDL throughout a summer-long data science program. Drawing on situative perspectives of learning, we utilize a descriptive case study to address our research question: How do data science practices taught in a classroom setting differ from those enacted in real-world social justice projects? Key findings reveal that while the course focused on abstract principles and basic technical skills, the Food Justice Project provided students with a more applied understanding of data tools, ethics, and exploration. Through the project, students demonstrated a deeper engagement with CDL, addressing real-world issues through detailed data analysis and ethical considerations. This manuscript adds to the literature within data science education and has the potential to bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application, preparing students to address real-world data science challenges through their coursework. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cultivating Teachers for STEAM Education)
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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 450
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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