Examining the Role of Teacher Professional Development in Supporting STEM Attitudes and Awareness: An Interdisciplinary Program Based on Five Pedagogical Approaches

Abstract

Although STEM education has become a major focus of educational reform worldwide, relatively few studies have examined how interdisciplinary professional development programs integrating multiple STEM pedagogical approaches influence in‐service teachers' STEM awareness and attitudes across disciplines. This study addressed this gap by examining the impact of a multi‐component professional development program, comprising the 5E model, problem‐based learning, engineering design, project‐based learning, and mathematical modeling, on teachers' STEM awareness and attitudes. The study employed an embedded mixed‐methods design, using quantitative and qualitative data complementarily to examine awareness and attitude dimensions. Participants were 21 in‐service teachers from science, mathematics, and technology‐and‐design disciplines. Data were collected before and after the program through STEM awareness and attitude scales, written reflections, and post‐training interviews. The findings showed that the program qualitatively deepened teachers' awareness of STEM and supported more elaborated attitudes toward interdisciplinary STEM teaching; however, these changes were not statistically significant. This result was discussed in relation to teachers' prior STEM knowledge and experience, as well as challenges in implementing interdisciplinary practices individually. Overall, interdisciplinary and student‐centered awareness was closely associated with positive STEM attitudes, suggesting that such programs can support teachers' competencies and motivation when structural constraints are addressed.