An Ecological Approach to Understanding and Promoting Learning of STEM Teachers

Dear Colleagues,

Teaching is a highly complex activity, and recent research on teacher learning has uncovered its complexity. Initially, studies focused on isolated teacher behaviors, followed by an emphasis on formal and practical teacher knowledge. More recently, attention has shifted to core practices, integrating knowledge and behaviors, such as leading discussions or guiding model development, as central to understanding and enhancing teacher learning. While recognizing the importance of this shift toward broader units of analysis, we argue that it insufficiently considers the ecological context to which these core practices belong.

This Special Issue advocates for an ecological approach to comprehending and fostering STEM teachers' learning. Ecological psychology asserts that the possibilities and constraints within teachers' operational ecologies influence their thoughts and actions. This ecology can be examined at three levels: the micro level of the classroom, the meso level of the school and the macro level of society. To effectively support teachers in innovating their practice, a comprehensive understanding of their ecology is crucial. Contributions to this Special Issue, both theoretical and empirical, expand on the ecological approach to comprehend and enhance the learning of STEM teachers.

Dr. Michiel Dam
Prof. Dr. Fred Janssen
Guest Editors

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• STEM education
• ecological psychology
• teacher learning