Professional development for STEM educators: A bibliometric analysis of the recent progress

Abstract

Abstract STEM teacher professional development (STEM‐TPD) has become a hot topic of educational research. To evaluate the main characteristics, status and trends of this educational field and to provide new insights for future studies, this review applies a bibliometric analysis of relevant publications. The Web of Science (WoS) core collection database was used as the source of bibliographic data for the period 2011–2021; specifically, 776 articles published in 232 journals were selected for this review. The bibliometric analysis was then carried out using Bibliometrix and VOSviewer to explore trends and patterns in the STEM‐TDP literature. It is essential to note that the analysis does not account for the quality of the selected studies. However, it presents the results using various perspectives such as citation, co‐citation, spatial and lexical networks based on frequencies, network analysis and descriptive patterns. The findings show that the number of relevant publications has grown significantly in recent years, in particular from 2015 to 2021. The findings, based on citation metrics, highlight the most influential authors, institutions and journals in the area. Authors from different countries have contributed to this research area, but there is a low volume of international collaboration among them. The analysis also reveals the dynamic changes in trends, keywords and themes in this research area. The review concludes with some recommendations for future research, and the suggested implications may also benefit other stakeholders in STEM education. Context and Implications Rationale for the study STEM education has garnered researchers' interest over the past two decades, but there are few reviews of STEM teacher professional development (STEM‐TPD) publications. Therefore, this bibliometric review sought to investigate the expansion of STEM‐TPD research. It also serves as a roadmap for future TPD research in STEM education. Why do the new findings matter? This comprehensive bibliometric study analysed 776 research publications on STEM‐TPD that were published in journals that were indexed by WoS. The findings shed light on recent developments, patterns and trends in STEM‐TPD research, as well as international collaboration in STEM‐TPD research. Implications for researchers, practitioners and policy makers The overall findings may benefit the researchers, editorial board, and publishers to focus more on some emerging research themes, which can guide the focus of future research. STEM researchers should consider conducting more ambitious, high‐quality empirical research that is likely to yield robust results. They can investigate higher‐order thinking skills and other issues related to equity, gender inequality, and teacher attrition. The results also inspire researchers and research institutions to boost international collaboration. Similarly, policy makers and higher education institutions should implement more reforms to educational policies and teacher preparation programmes to improve and sustain STEM education.