STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) is a globally recognised interdisciplinary (Casado Fernández & Checa-Romero, 2023) or transdisciplinary (Liao, 2016) educational approach that combines several disciplines in a defined learning context, emphasising the importance of the Arts. In the literature, this approach is linked to other methodologies such as problem-based learning (Quigley & Herro, 2016), inquiry-based learning (Romero-Ariza, 2021), and project-based learning (PBL), which solves real-world problems through creative processes (Khine & Areepattamannil, 2019), among others.

This systematic review aims to analyse features, trends and quality indicators in Teacher Professional Development Programs (TPDPs) for STEAM education from 2016 to 2024. The inference criteria for this study are based on a previous search to scope the area. As we did not find any systematic review addressing this theme, we have adopted some of the research questions from Surahman & Wang (2023) regarding the trends and features about the programs, but including the ‘A’ of Arts present in STEAM Education. Considering all this, we have established research questions for the present study:

1. What are the trends and features in theoretical background, pedagogical frameworks, teacher training strategies, activity designs, assessment domains/training effects, assessment tools, sustainability and funding of in-service STEAM TPDPs over 2016-2024?

2. How does the quality of in-service STEAM TPDPs aligns with a theoretical framework adapted from the seven design principles for TPD effective programs (Darling-Hammond et al., 2017) framework and ten design principles of the STEM TPD framework (Lo, 2021)?

3. What types of arts content knowledge are represented in STEAM TPDPs and how they are related to the criteria included in the adapted framework for quality assessment of these programs?

Despite the outcomes about an effective TPDP, which is based both in teacher practices and student outcomes, the focus of this review are the programs for in-service teachers. The conceptual framework from the Effective Teacher Professional Development Report (Darling-Hammond et al., 2017) was used to conduct the analysis of the quality in TPDPs in STEAM. For this, we proposed an adapted theoretical framework to support the analysis of quality in terms of effectiveness in STEAM TPDPs in order to answer the research questions. This adaptation was based on the 7 design principles for TPD effective programs (Darling-Hammond et al., 2017) framework and 10 design principles of the STEM TPD framework (Lo, 2021), considering the specificity of the arts integration in STEAM education.

Reviewing 24 studies, it highlights key aspects in theoretical background, pedagogical frameworks, teacher training strategies, activity designs, assessment domains/training effects, assessment tools, sustainability, and funding. Findings show that TPDPs in STEAM often adopt constructivist and interdisciplinary approaches, especially through Project-Based Learning and collaborative frameworks that promote integration through interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary approaches. Common teacher training strategies include hands-on workshops, support through communities of practice, and follow-up sessions to ensure sustained engagement. Assessments focus on teacher self-efficacy, instructional practices, and confidence in STEAM integration, with minimal emphasis on student outcomes. Sustainability is often enhanced through communities of practice, and funding is generally sourced from governmental and private entities. Program quality evaluation was based on the effectiveness of professional development. A framework that integrates the arts was adapted as an instrument. The review found strong adherence to principles like active learning and collaboration, though arts integration into sciences remains inconsistent. The analysis of arts content highlights a lack of improvement in its integration, suggesting a need for clearer frameworks and specialized research and training. This review supports improved understanding of TPDPs in STEAM and recommends future research to improve and explore arts integration and its role in programs quality.

The present study is a systematic literature review conducted according to PRISMA guidelines in three stages, namely the planning, conducting and reporting. The planning stage of the present review involved four stages. A first identification of relevant studies in databases on the basis of search terms, the screening of identified studies, the determination of eligibility on the basis of inclusion and exclusion criteria, and the selection of studies according to the established criteria. Given the nature of this study (i.e., systematic review), the data collection procedure consisted of a systematic literature search on a European/international dimension, including the following features and steps: (1) The search was conducted in four electronic databases, namely WOS, SCOPUS, ERIC and EBSCO; (2) A suitable search string was created and entered into the selected databases; (3) The electronic search was filtered by a. publication type (empirical articles), b. publication date (2009-present), c. language (English and Spanish), d. type of publishing, e. school level and f. context (Studies that are focused on in-service STEAM Teacher Professional Development Programs); (4) Exclusion criteria was applied in this phase: a. conference papers; b. not in English or Spanish; c. articles for which the full text was unavailable from our university access; d. studies that did not focus on in-service STEAM TPDPs (e.g., those involving only students in university and those involving only students in schools, or even those including only educational policies and/or school management); (5) Records identified by searching the electronic databases were exported to EndNote to identify and delete duplicates; (6) The electronic search was supplemented by hand searching citations and relevant author’s profiles; (7) In the first phase, team members independently screened the titles and abstracts of all identified records, until each record has been checked by the three reviewers, and potential conflicts regarding the inclusion/exclusion of a particular publication have been resolved; (8) In the second phase, full-texts were screened based on a more elaborate list of inclusion/exclusion criteria; (9) When necessitated by lack of relevant data in the abstract, full-texts were retrieved and screened for eligibility as early as the first phase; (10) The results of the literature screening were tracked via Rayyan. After the first phase, the conducting stage involved the quality assessment using the principles of effectiveness design for professional development programs, which means coding and categorisation, synthesis and data analysis. The reporting stage of review refer to results, discussion and conclusions.

This systematic review investigates the interdisciplinary and constructivist foundations of Teacher Professional Development Programs (TPDPs) in STEAM education, focusing on the integration of the arts into the sciences. This integration enriches scientific learning by fostering innovation, creativity, and critical thinking, while promoting holistic, interdisciplinary understanding. By breaking down barriers between disciplines, STEAM emphasizes a comprehensive skillset that aligns with modern educational practices. The diversity in teacher training strategies—ranging from workshops and hands-on activities to sustained support through professional learning communities—proves effective in enhancing teacher confidence, self-efficacy, and pedagogical practices. While existing evaluations prioritize teacher outcomes, there is a pressing need for studies exploring direct impacts on student outcomes to fully assess programme effectiveness. A notable finding is the sustainability of these programmes through the establishment of Communities of Practice. These foster ongoing peer collaboration and professional growth beyond initial training, supported by funding from government bodies, private foundations, and universities. The quality of STEAM TPDPs aligns with established frameworks, such as those by Darling-Hammond et al. (2017) and Lo (2021), emphasizing core principles like active learning, collaboration, and sustained engagement. Despite the growth in STEAM research, this review identifies a critical gap: the inconsistent integration of the arts into STEAM programmes. This shortcoming undermines the potential of STEAM to enhance creativity and problem-solving. Addressing this gap requires dedicated research and collaboration among educators, researchers, and experts in the arts and humanities. Future initiatives should focus on arts literacy, modelling strategies, and professional development to enable meaningful integration of the arts into STEAM projects. This review contributes to the STEAM literature by providing actionable insights for designing effective TPDPs. However, the emerging nature of STEAM research underscores the need for large-scale, high-quality studies to solidify these findings and better align teacher training with the evolving demands of STEAM education.

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