Effects of a Preschool Professional Development Model on Teacher Science and Math Knowledge

Research overwhelming identifies science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) domains as vital to young children’s later school achievement (Duncan et al., 2007; Grissmer et al., 2010; Morgan, Farkas, Hillemeier, & Maczuga 2016; Watts et al. 2014). However, preschool teachers rarely receive in-depth training in math and science, and culturally and linguistically diverse students from low-income backgrounds are particularly at risk for lower academic outcomes in these domains (Brenneman, Boyd & Frede, 2009; Barnett, 2008; Cognitive Development & Beyond Project, 2009). The ScMath-Dll Instrument for Teacher Learning (SMILE) assessment tool was developed to measure teacher’s knowledge. Items relevant to each workshop assess the following: (1) content knowledge; (2) understanding of the developmental learning trajectory of the concept covered; and (3) application of the content and developmental trajectory to classroom practice (pedagogical content knowledge: PCK). Further information about the intervention and the SMILE assessment, as well as implications and future directions, will be discussed.