Abstract

This research was aimed to assess whether a newly developed professional development (PD) program enhances STEM-based teaching practices among pre-service home economics teachers. The activities in this PD program were divided into three parts: knowledge about STEM education, lesson plan development, and implementation of STEM-based lessons. Using three pre-service home economics teachers as case studies, data were collected throughout the PD program from group discussions, observations, interviews, and review of documentation. Data were analyzed using content analysis. The findings demonstrated that the pre-service teachers gained more confidence with integrating STEM education into their lesson plans as a result of the PD program. In addition, they were able to link content about home economics to other disciplines. This integration provided more opportunities for students to test their own ideas, ask questions, and apply 21st century skills. STEM knowledge, school context, students’ learning style, and time constraints were identified as the main factors that impacted their teaching practices. Results from this study provides insight on how to better prepare teachers outside of the STEM disciplines with integrating STEM content into their teaching practices and provides a framework for future research.

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