Influence of Teachers' Professional Development in Integrated STEAM Pedagogy on Teachers' Practices

The study explored the influence of teachers' professional development (PD) on teachers' practices. The professional development training focused on integrated STEAM pedagogy,design thinking, and inquiry-based learning spanning three cycles of four weeks. Seven teachers from two schools for the underprivileged were a part of this qualitative action research study. A semi-structured interview protocol was used for data collection in three rounds of focus group interviews. Results from the thematic analysis report that the professional development helped enhance creativity, critical thinking, and innovation among the teachers. They gained a deeper understanding of the integration of STEAM pedagogy in their lessons. It also helped them empathize with the context of what is being taught themselves and foster it in their students too. They also reported higher levels of interest in active learning, confidence, and teacher agency, reflecting that the professional development training had a positive impact on teachers' practices.