RUME 28
2026
Alexandria, Virginia
Factors That May Guide the Design, Execution and Research of Professional Development
Page: 1496
There is considerable research on effective professional development (PD) in both undergraduate and K-12 educational settings; however, there is less research on how the characteristics of PD can influence teacher uptake and retention of PD resources and lessons. We report on preliminary findings of a survey of 157 K-12 STEM teachers who participated in large-scale research-based PD. The survey used Likert-style prompts reflecting the main priorities of math education PD. Through Factor Analysis, we identified new categories of administrative support, resources and materials, community, classroom practices, and facilitation that best described the experiences of these participants. We found that while the PDs served different communities and had different goals, these factors show important attributes of PD across projects. While K-12 schools have different contexts, nuances, and challenges than undergraduate teaching spaces, these survey results may provide guidance when designing, implementing, and conducting research in undergraduate communities.