Tracking STEM learning trajectories of in-service teachers during and post participation in a STEM teaching and learning professional development course

Date of Award

2025

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Master of Philosophy in Education (MPhil Ed.)

First Advisor

Dr Tasneem Anwar

Department

Institute for Educational Development, Karachi

Abstract

This study analyses the case of a formal, integrated STEM professional development (PD) course for in-service teachers in Pakistan, with a backdrop of a national adoption of integrated STEM pedagogy amidst significant systemic constraints. The purpose was to map the impact of the PD on the beliefs, attributes, and Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) of selected participants by tracking their individual learning trajectories during and two years post-course. Using a longitudinal, qualitative case study design, this research co-constructed an Expected Learning Trajectory (ELT) framework to systematically analyse participant artifacts and interviews. The analytical process was enhanced by a human-AI collaborative methodology to ensure both the rigour of the coding and the validity of the interpretation. The findings reveal that while all participants’ learning evolved through distinct stages during the PD, their post-PD practice modelled a ‘bifurcated practice’ where the STEM pedagogy was implemented in low-stakes settings parallel to the traditional, curriculum-focused classroom. This model emerged as an adaptation to contextual constraints such as demanding curricula and standardized assessments. The study also identifies a set of convergingly high-impact PD features, including the consistent use of the Engineering Design Process, grounding in real-world contexts, and scaffolded design tasks, that were foundational for all participants. However, the efficacy of diverging features, such as peer-collaboration and reflective practice, was found to be moderated by individual teacher attributes like engagement and metacognition. This research contributes a nuanced understanding of post-PD STEM adoption in Pakistan, highlighting that in constrained systems, successful transfer may manifest as a strategic, compartmentalized innovation rather than a complete overhaul of practice. The findings have significant implications for the design of teacher professional development and for the systemic supports required for sustainable instructional change.

First Page

1

Last Page

130

This document is available in the relevant AKU library.

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