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Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education is important to producing students prepared for problem solving, critical analysis, and collaborative approaches to address the needs of the 21st century. For meaningful and intentional STEM instruction to occur, teachers need support and professional development. This paper presents a case study of a year-long professional learning project connecting the school's environmental science focus to improving mathematics instruction. A whole school agreement bounds this particular case. The school faculty initiated the project and included developing a mathematics trail to connect with their nature trail, garden, and an outdoor amphitheater. The quantitative and qualitative data reveal significant changes in mathematics practices and teachers' beliefs about the teaching and learning of mathematics. Since this case study revealed that whole school professional development in STEM could improve the teaching and learning of mathematics, implications for practice and research are discussed.

For nearly three decades, mathematics research has indicated the need for high-quality mathematics instruction including both ambitious and equitable practices, as well as continuous, innovative learning opportunities for educators. Teaching practices and standards for mathematical practice have been identified to provide guidance. While research connects effective professional development (PD) to improved instructional practices, there is a need for additional research on the role mathematics specialists play in developing and sustaining PDs. This qualitative case study examined the multiple roles of a specialist while laying the foundational components for a coordinated PD system to improve and strengthen mathematics teaching and learning in elementary classrooms. The PD efforts included the implementation of a teacher subsystem where a specialist led all components consisting of pull-out PD, mathematics coaching, collaborative time, and teacher networks. This study took place at a rural, pre-K through fourth-grade school in a southeastern state. Analysis of the data identified the specialist's key roles in each component of the teacher subsystem. The results indicated that the development and implementation of a teacher subsystem impacts the overall effectiveness of PD. Findings serve as a foundation for specialists to design and implement coordinated efforts that can have positive impacts on the teaching and learning of mathematics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Teacher self-efficacy and teaching practices are both related to effective teaching and learning of mathematics. Given the theoretical and empirical basis for the importance of teacher self-efficacy, we hypothesized that teacher reported self-efficacy would be positively related to teacher self-reported effective teaching practices. This study examined the self-reported construct data across in-service educator grade level (i.e., elementary and secondary) and educator position (i.e., general education or special education) to determine the associations of constructs and the potential for differences between groups. Correlations between self-efficacy and teacher practices in-service teachers were analyzed using Kendall's Tau. A Kruskal-Wallis one-way analysis of variance was used to analyze the three participant groups (general education: elementary, general education: secondary, and special education) for the teacher self-efficacy and self-reported teaching practices constructs. Similarities and differences among the relationships between educator grade level, educator position, self-efficacy, and teaching practices are discussed. In addition, implications for future research and professional development with educators are outlined.