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The shift from traditional education to maker-centered learning calls for an analysis and evaluation of the current studies on professional development in maker-centered learning. The current systematic literature review was conducted to examine existing literature on teacher professional development for maker-centered learning. It aligns the literature to the theory of constructionism, which is often cited as a foundational theory supporting maker-centered learning. The creation and integration of makerspaces in educational environments is a growing trend that supports creating and building material objects for learning. As makerspaces emerge in K-12 contexts, the need for research-based teacher education practices becomes apparent. The findings of this literature review describe the current landscape of research on this topic, illustrating the types of research conducted, the goals of professional development for teachers in this area, and effective elements of professional development experiences that contribute to teacher success in using maker-centered learning strategies. The implications of the findings and suggestions for future research are presented.

Additional research is needed to acknowledge the increase in diversity of K-12 online learners. This study explores K-12 online teachers' perceived knowledge of the identities that may be present in their students and their perceived ability to meet the needs of these students. Using the MAKSST instrument which is designed to measure an individual's multicultural awareness, knowledge, and skills, this study researched why K-12 online teachers felt they have a "good" understanding of the possible identities of their students and addressing their needs. However teachers state they are not confident in their understanding of gender and affectional orientation. Teachers noted that they did not feel adequately prepared to meet the needs of diverse online students and desired additional training in this area.

The emergence of the maker movement has prompted educational researchers to consider the affordances of maker-centered learning activities in formal K-12 environments. These affordances however will only be realized if teachers are provided effective learning experiences in this area. This qualitative holistic multiple case study examined two groups of in-service K-12 teachers' perceptions of a maker-centered professional development (PD) situated in a commercial makerspace. The aim of the PD was to expose teachers to elements of the maker movement in an initial effort to assist them in integrating maker-centered learning elements into their curriculum. Utilizing individual interviews and personal reflections of participants (n = 23) in an 8-week maker-centered PD, this study examined their perceptions of mindset changes and the effects this experience may have on their teaching practice. Qualitative analysis of the data suggests participants perceived growth of their own maker-mindsets, and increased interest and confidence in implementing maker-centered learning activities in their classrooms. Findings reveal that both teachers' mindsets as well as operational elements should be considered in preparing educators to implement maker-centered learning activities.

Despite growing interest in the educational benefits of integrating making into formal educational contexts, few studies have examined professional development (PD) models for assisting K-12 teachers in doing so. Through the design and implementation of a unique PD experience, this qualitative case study examined the perspectives of eight teachers from an independent girls' high school who participated in an eight-week maker-centered learning experience situated in a commercial makerspace. Data were collected through semi-structured individual interviews at the conclusion of the PD experience. Findings suggest participants engaged in making activities both inside and outside of the makerspace, shifted in identity formation between teachers/learners and makers/non-makers, and recognized community development within their peer group as well as with members and staff of the makerspace. Participants also noted elements of maker-centered learning activities that may be incorporated into their teaching practice.

There has been increased interest in utilizing making activities in classroom-based educational environments and research suggests these activities may promote desirable student dispositions such as increased confidence and agency. To realize these benefits, teachers must experience maker-centered learning in order to design and integrate these types of activities into their curriculum. This qualitative study examined K-12 teachers' perceptions of an eight-week professional development experience designed to expose participants to making activities and the culture inherent in a commercial makerspace. Semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with 15 teachers who participated in the experience during Summer 2017. An analysis of the interview data describes participants' learning experiences within three modes of teacher learning: formal, informal and independent. This paper describes how and what teachers learned during the professional development experience, as well as their perceptions of learning in a commercial makerspace.

The maker movement has sparked interest from stakeholders in K12 educational institutions based on its emphasis on science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) content areas. However, the interest has not yet culminated in clearly defined best practices for K12 student or teacher learning. This systematic review of literature aims to analyze the research to date associated with the maker movement in K12 education. Prominent research databases were searched for literature published about the maker movement in education between the years 2000 and 2018 so as to provide a current description of research on this topic.

This study examines the experiences of teachers enrolled in an online certificate program for K-12 online teaching. Participants blogged weekly regarding their experiences developing and facilitating an online course. Qualitative analysis of the data shows that teachers face many challenges in developing and facilitating an online course; however, they found support from their colleagues enrolled in the program. Additionally, teachers found value in the authentic experience afforded them in the virtual field experience in that it gave them exposure to online learning theory coupled with the opportunity to design and facilitate their own online courses.

This mixed methods study examined teachers' perceptions and uses of digital badges received as recognition of participation in a professional development program. Quantitative and qualitative survey data was collected from 99 K-12 teachers who were awarded digital badges in Spring 2016. In addition, qualitative data was collected through semi-structured interviews with a smaller sample. An analysis of the data suggests that teachers had a favorable view of receiving digital badges and many shared their badges through digital media. This paper also describes how the digital badges were shared, the impact digital badges may have on teachers' choices for professional development, and teachers' perspectives on current and future uses of digital badges.

This case study utilized the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) theoretical framework (Mishra & Koehler, 2006) as a lens to examine the instructional strategies of four English as a second language (ESL) teachers and their rationales for incorporating technology into their instructional practices in teaching oral communication skills. The four teachers taught adult learners at the intermediate and advanced levels of an English Language program at a university in the Southeastern United States in spring of 2015. The survey results reported low mean scores in teachers' technological knowledge but higher mean scores for the constructs of technological content knowledge, technological pedagogical knowledge, and TPACK. The data gathered from class observations and interviews suggested that teachers' pedagogical approaches determined the extent to which technology was used in class.

This qualitative study examined preservice and early career teachers' preconceptions and misconceptions about making in education. Eighty-two preservice and early career teachers participated in brief, one-time maker workshops, then wrote reflections on their experiences. Using constant comparative analysis, researchers uncovered two common misconceptions held by the participants. The first was that making in education consisted of hands-on activities designed to achieve specific content learning objectives. The second was that making was largely dependent on the use of advanced manufacturing tools, such as three-dimensional (3D) printers. Such misconceptions could negatively impact the potential of making in education. Recommendations for resolving these misconceptions are presented, along with recommendations for future research.

Maker culture is part of a burgeoning movement in which individuals leverage modern digital technologies to produce and share physical artifacts with a broader community. Certain components of the maker movement, if properly leveraged, hold promise for transforming formal education in a variety of contexts. The authors here work towards a framework for leveraging these components (i.e., creation, iteration, sharing, and autonomy) in support of learning in a variety of formal educational contexts and disciplines.

This qualitative study examined preservice teachers' beliefs about using maker activities in formal educational settings. Eighty-two preservice and early-career teachers at three different universities in the United States took part in one-time workshops designed to introduce them to various maker tools and activities applicable to K-12 educational environments. Data were collected from 16 focus groups conducted during the workshops in spring 2016. Researchers analyzed the data using the Theory of Planned Behavior (Ajzen, 1985, 1991) to better understand the teachers' attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control related to making activities, with the ultimate goal of using this information to assist teacher preparation programs in preparing their students to implement maker tools and strategies in their future classrooms. Participants expressed favorable attitudes toward implementing maker activities in their future classrooms and noted these tools and activities aligned with instructional strategies encouraged in their teacher preparation programs, including problem-based learning, inquiry learning, and hands-on learning activities, but noted several perceived barriers such as access to resources and working with reluctant peers and administrators.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine a cohort of educators' perspectives of a semester-long maker-based university course. Design/methodology/approach: This qualitative study utilized participants' weekly and end-of-semester written reflections to illustrate the participants' perceptions of a semester-long university course focused on the role of maker principles and technologies in a variety of educational contexts. Findings: The participants' perceptions of learning following the semester-long maker experience viewed learning as a more collaborative experience, and noted the benefits of a classroom community that arose from the collaboration. Originality/value: This study adds empirical research to the literature base on the use of maker tools and strategies in formal educational environments. While other studies have examined similar environments, they tend to focus on short-term, single experiences. This study followed the development of educators' perceptions of a maker-based learning experience over a longer duration of time. The findings of this study provide a research-based foundation for teacher educators to build upon when developing maker-based learning activities.

There is a growing need for qualified online instructors to teach the expanding population of online K-12 students. To meet this need, teachers must be provided learning opportunities to acquire the specific types of knowledge and skills necessary to teach online. In this systematic review of the literature, we utilize the TPACK framework to aggregate the types of knowledge and skills required to teach online and examine both the extent to which these elements are addressed in existing programs and are based on empirical research. Findings suggest that the types of knowledge and skills based on empirical research originate from few studies and that most programs address only a small subset of knowledge and skills, varying greatly without uniformity in content or learning experiences.

A qualitative study of math and science teachers at two middle schools identifies how their system for learning to integrate technology into their teaching goes beyond what school leaders typically consider when planning for teachers' learning. In addition to (a) the district-initiated, or formal, system of professional development (PD) and professional learning communities (PLCs), it includes (b) teacher-initiated, or informal, learning with colleagues as well as (c) teachers' independent learning activities. Analysis of why and how they form their system highlights how by only supporting the formal PD activities and PLCs, the district not only loses the valuable collective knowledge of the districts' teachers derived from their informal and independent learning activities, but also diminishes the learning teachers derive from the formal PD activities since informal collaborations and independent work after formal PD activities often helps to bring the learning from the training room to the classroom. We present teachers' insights and then discuss implications for the design of a holistic approach to facilitate teachers' formal, informal, and independent learning that is tied together and supported by technology. While research on formal, informal and independent teacher learning exists, with technology frequently mentioned as a potential support for each of these three modes, these approaches have not been considered together as interdependent parts of the same holistic system for teacher learning nor has the way technology might knit these modes of teacher learning together been imagined as a part of that system.

Abstract: This mixed methods study examined teachers' perceptions and uses of digital badges received as recognition of participation in a professional development program. Quantitative and qualitative survey data was collected from 99 K‐12 teachers who were awarded digital badges in Spring 2016. In addition, qualitative data was collected through semi‐structured interviews with a smaller sample. An analysis of the data suggests that teachers had a favorable view of receiving digital badges and many shared their badges through digital media. This paper also describes how the digital badges were shared, the impact digital badges may have on teachers' choices for professional development, and teachers' perspectives on current and future uses of digital badges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This case study utilized the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) theoretical framework (Mishra & Koehler, 2006) as a lens to examine the instructional strategies of four English as a second language (ESL) teachers and their rationales for incorporating technology into their instructional practices in teaching oral communication skills. The four teachers taught adult learners at the intermediate and advanced levels of an English Language program at a university in the Southeastern United States in spring of 2015. The survey results reported low mean scores in teachers' technological knowledge but higher mean scores for the constructs of technological content knowledge, technological pedagogical knowledge, and TPACK. The data gathered from class observations and interviews suggested that teachers' pedagogical approaches determined the extent to which technology was used in class. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This qualitative study examined preservice and early career teachers' preconceptions and misconceptions about making in education. Eighty-two preservice and early career teachers participated in brief, one-time maker workshops, then wrote reflections on their experiences. Using constant comparative analysis, researchers uncovered two common misconceptions held by the participants. The first was that making in education consisted of hands-on activities designed to achieve specific content learning objectives. The second was that making was largely dependent on the use of advanced manufacturing tools, such as three-dimensional (3D) printers. Such misconceptions could negatively impact the potential of making in education. Recommendations for resolving these misconceptions are presented, along with recommendations for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]