Online professional development for elementary and middle school teachers: supporting disciplinary literacy instruction through inquiry and AI

Purpose This study investigates how elementary and middle school teachers developed disciplinary literacy instruction through participation in an online professional development (PD) program integrating inquiry, multimodal literacy, and generative artificial intelligence (AI). Design/methodology/approach This qualitative study examined a university-school partnership aligned with National Association for Professional Development Schools (NAPDS) Essential 3 (Professional Learning and Leading), in which university faculty and Kindergarten to Grade 8 (K–8) teachers engaged in collaborative professional learning focused on disciplinary literacy, inquiry, and AI-supported instruction. Data included teacher interviews, reflections, classroom artifacts, and lesson plans and were analyzed through thematic analysis. Findings This university-school partnership supported teachers' disciplinary literacy knowledge and inquiry-based instructional practices. Three distinct themes emerged from the analysis: (1) inquiry and multiple perspectives as central pillars of disciplinary literacy, (2) multimodal and digital sources supporting disciplinary reading instruction, and (3) AI-supported disciplinary lesson planning and differentiated instruction. Research limitations/implications This study focused on nine K–8 teachers participating in a four-week online PD program. Findings underscore the value of sustained PD and university partnerships that support teachers' integration of disciplinary literacy, inquiry, multimodality, and effective use of AI in literacy and social studies classrooms. Originality/value This study explores how K-8 teachers integrated disciplinary literacy, inquiry, multimodality, and AI through online PD.