A Mixed-Methods Study of Teacher Collaboration in a STEAM Professional Development Program

Teacher collaboration can be a powerful but challenging practice for K-12 educators. This is particularly true in the context of STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) education, in which disciplines are integrated through innovative, student-centered teaching strategies. A sequential explanatory mixed-methods approach was employed to understand the impacts of a 5-year STEAM professional development program on K-12 teachers’ collaboration efforts. Using quantitative and qualitative methods and social network analysis (SNA), the study explored the nature of STEAM collaboration and identified aspects that supported and hindered successful collaboration. Quantitative analyses demonstrated that, after participating in the program, the teachers engaged in practices to support interdisciplinary STEAM collaboration more frequently. SNA revealed changes in the size, composition, and nature of collaboration within the network each year. Over time, teachers’ collaboration networks were increasingly made up of other teachers who participated in the STEAM program, including former program participants. In the early years of the program, collaboration was characterized by informal information exchange and resource sharing. In later years, there were increasing instances of joint work and advice giving or receiving help. Qualitative data provided additional evidence of strong collaboration between teachers, with variations in collaboration year-to-year as teachers navigated changing curricular constraints, new collaborators, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Particularly in the final years of the program, participants spoke about the benefits of collaboration on their professional wellbeing and growth, their ability to integrate subjects more deeply, and the development of a supportive network of colleagues. Across all years, teachers described challenges to STEAM collaboration, consistently noting the need for common planning time and flexible scheduling, particularly when engaging in higher levels of collaboration, such as joint work. Teachers emphasized that sustaining STEAM efforts required finding colleagues or outside collaborators who were committed to STEAM and willing to collaborate. Collaboration across disciplines enabled teachers to leverage diverse expertise and build supportive networks, making STEAM initiatives more accessible and impactful. The findings of this study point to the importance of designing collaborative professional development programs that prioritize relationship-building and long-term support, creating networks that persist even beyond formal program participation.