Education Sciences

Current calls to integrate science and mathematics in PK-16 education build on decades of prior initiatives, yet the United States still lacks consensus on what integration entails and consistent policies to support it. This study systematically reviews current U.S. policies to identify guidance on the preparation of teachers to integrate science and mathematics. Given that teacher preparation is inherently connected to PK-12 policy, we also review PK-12 policy guidance focused on dual or integrated teacher endorsements, school designations, and PK-12 science and mathematics learning standards. Drawing on an established framework that defines meaningful integration as authentic problem solving supported by the use of multiple STEM disciplines, we examine the degree to which current policies enable such practice. Our findings reveal recommendations for integrating science and mathematics, yet policies overwhelmingly reinforce a siloed approach. We argue that misalignment between teacher preparation policy and PK-12 policy creates a circular problem: teachers cannot be expected to implement integrated science and mathematics instruction without adequate preparation, yet preparation programs have little incentive to design coursework for an instructional approach not systematically supported in PK-12 settings. Clarifying and aligning these policies is therefore essential for advancing coherent, scalable integration across the PK-16 system.

This systematic review on teachers’ Personalized Continuing Professional Learning (PCPL) frameworks explores integrating core professional competencies with core job-related components. Findings across 43 studies identify effective PCPL frameworks, emphasizing adaptability, interdisciplinary collaboration, reflective practice, and digital tools for self-assessment and growth. Key challenges include resource constraints, institutional rigidity, and the need for career-stage-specific support. Adaptive strategies for diverse teaching contexts are discussed. A self-assessment multidimensional model is proposed to set personalized professional goals and align their development with broader educational needs. Findings have practical implications for policy and practice, highlighting how PCPL can foster continuous growth and improved teaching efficacy.

This narrative review synthesizes conceptual frameworks, empirical evidence, and pedagogical approaches that support the integration of systems thinking into sustainability education across K–12 and higher education. Publications were purposively selected based on conceptual significance, empirical rigor, pedagogical relevance, and contextual diversity, with searches conducted across Web of Science, Scopus, ERIC, and Google Scholar. The analysis identified several recurring instructional patterns, as follows: the use of feedback-loop reasoning to connect scientific and social systems; the role of conceptual modeling and visual representations; and the value of inquiry-based, project-based, and socio-scientific issue frameworks in promoting systems-oriented understanding. Across educational levels, the review highlights consistent evidence that systems thinking can be taught effectively when learning activities scaffold students’ construction of system models, encourage interdisciplinary reasoning, and explicitly address dynamic processes such as accumulation, time delays, and unintended consequences. Case examples from K–12 and teacher education illustrate how visual modeling, simulations, and carefully designed task structures foster deeper understanding of socio-ecological interactions. The review also identifies key implications for curriculum design, teacher professional development, and assessment, emphasizing the need for sustained integration rather than one-time activities. Overall, this synthesis demonstrates that systems thinking is a foundational competency for sustainability education and provides educators with practical frameworks, strategies, and examples for meaningful classroom implementation. The findings underscore the importance of aligning pedagogical design, curricular structures, and assessment practices to cultivate students’ ability to reason about complex systems.