ENHANCING SCIENCE TEACHING THROUGH PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: IMPACTS OF THE EDSTEMA PROGRAM ON TEACHER KNOWLEDGE, SELF-EFFICACY, AND STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT

Abstract

This study examines the impact of Every Day STEM for All (EDSTEMA)—a multi-district professional development (PD) program—on elementary teachers’ science content knowledge (SCK), science teaching efficacy (STE), and their students’ science achievement (SAA). Grounded in Desimone’s (2009) framework for effective professional development, EDSTEMA was designed to incorporate all five critical features: sustained duration across a year of learning, a strong content focus on relevant science topics, coherence with state standards and district goals, active learning through inquiry-based activities and lesson design, and collective participation within school-based cohorts.Teacher outcomes were measured using selected items from the Misconceptions-Oriented Standards-Based Assessment Resources for Teachers (MOSART) to assess SCK and the Science Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument (STEBI-A) to assess STE. Student outcomes were evaluated using Oklahoma Core Curriculum Test (OCCT) scores. Results showed significant improvement in teacher SCK and STE among EDSTEMA participants. Independent-samples t-tests revealed strong, highly powered effects for SCK, while analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) results for STE indicated a small but practical effect, reflecting gains in teaching confidence and practice. Student analyses further revealed that classes taught by EDSTEMA participants scored significantly higher on the OCCT following teacher participation. Findings suggest that thoughtfully designed PD can enhance teacher knowledge, strengthen efficacy, and improve student achievement. This study extends the literature by showing how growth in SCK and STE is associated with SAA in elementary science, underscoring the importance of investing in sustained, high-quality PD models like EDSTEMA.