How STEM Teacher Immersions and Pedagogical PD Drive Multi-Domain Growth: Qualitative Findings from [Fellowship Program]

How STEM Teacher Immersions and Pedagogical PD Drive Multi-Domain Growth: Qualitative Findings from [Fellowship Program] | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article How STEM Teacher Immersions and Pedagogical PD Drive Multi-Domain Growth: Qualitative Findings from [Fellowship Program] Vance Kite, Kevin Winn, Teresa Leavens, Mariam Maiga This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7722974/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Background Preparing students for evolving STEM careers requires teachers who understand workforce skills and pathways, yet most professional development (PD) and STEM Experiences for Teachers (SETs) are studied in isolation. This study examines [Fellowship Program] (TFP; Pseudonym), a year-long model that integrates a 120-hour summer industry or research immersion with 80 hours of pedagogical and leadership PD. We analyzed 56 interview and 3 focus-group transcripts from seventy-three K–12 teachers who participated in TFP between 2018 and 2024. Using Atlas.ti, we employed inductive coding and then mapped emergent categories to Clarke and Hollingsworth’s Interconnected Model of Professional Growth (IMPG) to examine professional growth in teachers’ Personal Domain, the Domain of Practice, and the Domain of Consequence. Results Our findings indicate that teachers most frequently reported changes in the Personal Domain (n = 371), with more references to Knowledge (n = 160) than Beliefs (n = 128) or Attitudes (n = 69). Growth in the Domain of Practice (n = 211) centered on Pedagogy (n = 136) and forming new Community Connections (n = 54). Reports in the Domain of Consequence (n = 241) highlighted teacher outcomes (n = 162) and new student opportunities (n = 95). Co-occurrence analyses linked knowledge gains to Professional Development and Industry Connections (72 co-occurrences) and belief change to Program Infrastructure/Values and Brand Recognition (52 co-occurrences). A salient pathway traced Increased Self-Efficacy → Agentic Action → new Community Connections → Opportunities for Students. Conclusions The results of this study highlight how integrating SETs with sustained pedagogical and leadership PD drives multi-domain teacher growth and bridges the “knowing–doing gap” often seen in professional learning. Findings show that TFP’s SET + PD model enhances teachers’ knowledge, self-efficacy, and networks, which in turn catalyze agentic actions that expand classroom opportunities for students. Using Clarke and Hollingsworth’s IMPG, the study demonstrates that external supports—such as industry experiences, high-quality PD, and program infrastructure—produce personal growth that translates into new pedagogical practices, leadership roles, and student engagement. This study positions the TFP model as a replicable framework for workforce-aligned teacher professional development and offers design and policy recommendations for scaling SET + PD initiatives to strengthen K–12 STEM education and career readiness. STEM Experiences for Teachers Teacher Professional Development Teacher Professional Growth Industry Experiences for Teachers STEM Education Figures Figure 1 Figure 2 1.0 Introduction Anticipated transformations in the STEM workforce—including the addition of over 790,000 new jobs by 2033 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2023 )—have intensified demands on K–12 education systems to align instruction with emerging industry needs. Frontier technologies are disrupting major industries, both eliminating jobs and creating new sectors of employment in fields like Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, Biotechnology, and Agricultural Technology (World Economic Forum, 2023 ). Simultaneously, global trade and industry incentive policies are driving the relocation of advanced manufacturing and goods production facilities to rural locations around the world. In the face of these rapid changes governments and industries alike have recognized the need to better prepare students for the future workforce by linking classroom instruction to real-world skills and career pathways (UNESCO, 2022 ). Although policy and research emphasize both industry-informed instruction and effective pedagogy, teacher development efforts often bifurcate into content-focused industry immersions (i.e., STEM Experiences for Teachers (SETs)) or pedagogy-focused professional development (PD); rarely integrating both (Blanchard & Sampson, 2017 ; Hurley et al., 2024 ; Mani, 2024 ; Margot & Kettler, 2019 ; Sims et al., 2023). The goal of these initiatives is to improve student learning in ways that prepare students for future careers (Hurley et al., 2024 ; Margot & Kettler, 2019 ). Much research has been devoted to identifying PD best practices, developing models for effective teacher pedagogical PD, and examining the effects of various PD models on teacher professional growth (Clarke & Hollingsworth, 2002; Kennedy, 2016 ; Sims et al., 2023). Concurrently, significant funding has been allocated to creating research experiences for teachers (RETs) and SETs (Bowen & Shume, 2018 ; Marqusee, 2023 ). Despite investments in both domains, little empirical research explores the intersection of SETs paired with sustained pedagogical development—an integration that may be necessary to translate industry exposure into lasting classroom impact. While SET programs have gained popularity as a means to bridge classroom content to real-world STEM applications, extant SET programs generally do not include pedagogical PD and very few investigations have focused on evaluating the impacts of these programs on teachers’ professional growth (Hurley, et al., 2024 ). Similarly, despite widespread agreement that traditional PD often fails to produce sustained instructional change (Darling-Hammond et al., 2017 ; Kennedy, 2016 ; Sims, et al., 2023), research remains limited on how contextualized, experiential learning models—particularly those involving industry immersion—affect teacher growth. We contend that achieving shifts to in-service teachers’ daily practice that result in ongoing, authentic, STEM learning experiences that prepare students for future work cannot be accomplished through either pedagogical PD or SETs alone. Rather, in-service teachers must be provided with dual-focus experiences that pair SETs with pedagogical PD (SET + PD) to equip them to leverage the knowledge acquired during their STEM experience. While Hurley et al. ( 2024 ) identified research on two established SET programs, we were unable to identify any dual-focus (SET + PD) programs in the literature. Thus, recognizing the critical need for detailed descriptions of SET + PD models and investigations of the impacts of these models on teachers’ professional growth, this qualitative study of the experiences of seventy-three in-service educators offers the first qualitative examination of the [Fellowship Program] for Teacher Leadership’s (TFP) influence on teachers’ professional growth. TFP is unique in that it provides both sustained pedagogical PD and lengthy SETs during its yearlong fellowship. Consistent with PD goals of teacher development that leads to professional growth, this study was guided by the following research questions: What elements of TFP do participants identify as most beneficial? How does the SET + PD structure of TFP influence in-service teachers’ growth across the domains of the Interconnected Model of Professional Growth? As noted by Holvoet and Wante ( 2021 ) the body of research connecting the design of SET experiences to teacher learning is very limited. This study fills a critical gap in both PD and workforce readiness literature by describing a unique program that is not yet represented in the literature and by providing a rigorous examination of the influence of the SET + PD model on teachers’ professional growth. 2.0 Theoretical Background 2.1 STEM Experiences for Teachers (SETs) Scholars contend that teachers prepared via traditional educator certification routes lack firsthand knowledge of the workforce pathways and critical skills associated with careers in modern STEM industries (Hurley et al., 2024 ; Mani, 2022 ). A range of stakeholders have advocated for STEM Experiences for Teachers (SETs) as a means to build educators’ knowledge of STEM workplace contexts (Mani, 2024 ). The underlying assumption of each of these initiatives is that immersing teachers in STEM environments will equip them with the knowledge and motivation to bring authentic STEM experiences to their students (Hurley et al., 2024 ). Hurley et al.'s ( 2024 ) meta-analysis identified only two established SET programs on which research has been conducted: Georgia’s GIFT Program and North Dakota’s Educators in Industry: K-12 Externships. For this work we conducted an exhaustive review of both the literature and the internet to identify established (i.e., not time-limited to a single grant or research project) initiatives that provide STEM experiences to teachers. As shown in Supplementary File A, there are common elements across most of the programs (i.e., STEM Immersion, Stipend, and Product), beyond those categorical similarities, however, there is wide variability between the programs. For example, program durations range from one day to one year, immersion durations range from one day to eight weeks, and stipend amounts range from no stipend to $ 7,000. Notably, none of the programs identified, except for TFP, provide pedagogical or leadership professional development in addition to the STEM immersion experience. While SETs build content knowledge about STEM industries, sustainable changes in practice require structured pedagogical development that enables teachers to translate workplace experiences into instructional innovations. The [Fellowship Program] uniquely addresses this need through its integrated SET + PD model. Thus, this study contributes to the advancement of the limited body of literature focused on STEM experiences for teachers by describing a program not represented in the literature. 2.2 Influence of SETs and RETs on Teacher Growth As noted above, investigations of the impact of STEM immersion experiences on teachers’ professional growth and practice is lacking. The existing SET research identified by Hurley and colleagues ( 2024 ) shows that these programs successfully increased teachers’ knowledge of STEM careers and workforce skills, as well as their intentions and motivations to incorporate lessons from their externships into their classrooms (Barrett & Usselman, 2006 ; Bowen, 2014 ; 2015 ; Bowen & Shume, 2018 ; 2020 ). Similarly, RETs have been shown to increase teachers’ understandings of the Nature of Science and Scientific Inquiry, understanding of and appreciation for the Engineering Design Process, allowance for student autonomy, implementation of inquiry-based instruction, and ability to function as scientists (Buxner, 2014 ; Faber, et al., 2014 ; Shume, et al., 2022 ; Stieben, et al., 2021 ). Although SETs and RETs have been shown to increase teachers’ knowledge and motivation, their effects on teachers’ professional practice remain underexplored. The present study begins to address this gap by examining how principles of effective professional development might be applied to the design of these programs. 2.3 Effective Professional Development Decades of research on effective professional development (PD) consistently point to several key features that enable sustained changes in teacher practice. Darling-Hammond et al. ( 2017 ) emphasize that PD must be content-focused, incorporate active learning strategies, foster collaboration, and provide opportunities for sustained reflection and feedback. Similarly, Desimone ( 2009 ) highlights coherence with teachers’ daily practice and a focus on student outcomes as critical to impactful PD. Recent scholarship has further refined our understanding of how PD translates into instructional change. Kennedy ( 2016 ) argues that effective PD must provide teachers not only with insights (new knowledge and beliefs) but also with techniques (strategies for application) and structured opportunities for practice embedding (sustained classroom use). This emphasis on enactment and situated application resonates with Clarke and Hollingsworth’s (2002) Interconnected Model of Professional Growth (IMPG), which describes teacher learning as an iterative process of reflection and practice within personal, external, and consequential domains. Sims et al. (2023) extend this argument by proposing that PD programs often succeed in fostering teacher motivation and delivering new insights, yet fail to provide the structural support necessary for teachers to integrate new practices into their instructional routines. This limitation is particularly relevant in the context of SETs, which, while effective at increasing content knowledge and enthusiasm, frequently lack the pedagogical scaffolding needed to translate workplace experiences into classroom practice. Thus, to be effective, SET programs must be paired with PD structures that explicitly address how teachers will adapt and embed their immersion experiences into their teaching. This integrated approach—combining experiential learning with pedagogical and leadership development—is central to TFP, which offers both an immersive industry externship and a comprehensive PD sequence designed to support reflection, collaboration, and classroom application. In this study, we examine how TFP’s SET + PD model aligns with these established principles of effective PD and explore its influence on teachers’ professional growth across the domains outlined in IMPG. 2.4 Interconnected Model of Professional Growth —------------------------------------------------------ Figure 1 The Interconnected Model of Professional Growth (IMPG) adapted from Clarke and Hollingsworth (2002) —------------------------------------------------------ To make sense of how teachers internalize and enact learning from immersive experiences, this study uses the Interconnected Model of Professional Growth (IMPG; Clarke & Hollingsworth, 2002) shown in Fig. 1, a non-linear model well-suited for capturing the complex dynamics of situated teacher learning. Clarke and Hollingsworth’s (2002) model divides teachers’ experiences into four domains: External Domain, Personal Domain, Domain of Practice, and Domain of Consequence. These domains are all situated within the Change Environment (i.e., teachers’ instructional context). According to Clarke and Hollingsworth (2002), teacher professional growth begins with experiences, usually PD engagements, that comprise the External Domain. The External Domain acts as an input that influences teachers’ Personal Domain (i.e., their Knowledge, Beliefs, Attitudes, Dispositions) and their Domain of Practice (i.e., their instructional practice). Ultimately, the results of their experimentation in the Domain of Practice emerge in the Domain of Consequence as salient outcomes. Importantly, Clarke and Hollingsworth (2002) emphasize that teachers’ professional growth does not occur in an isolated domain or in a linear fashion, rather professional growth is the result of ongoing cycles of reflection and enactment that connect the various domains as teachers learn, experiment, gather data, reflect, and revise. Given the IMPG’s emphasis on the complex nature of teachers’ professional growth and explicit connections between PD inputs, teacher learning, teacher practice, and outcomes; the IMPG is an ideal analytic lens for this study. 3.0 Methods 3.1 Study Design 3.1.1 Study Participants This qualitative study examines the experiences of 73 in-service teachers who participated in TFP between 2018 and 2021 and 2023–2024. an explanation for the gap in data collection is provided below. Invitations to participate in the interviews were extended to all of the Fellows in each concluding cohort. Study participants consented to participation in the evaluation interviews and the study sample consists of teachers who opted into the interviews and focus groups. Forty-two of the 73 interviewees provided grade level and subject area data. Several participants reported teaching across multiple subject areas and grade bands, particularly those at the elementary level or with interdisciplinary roles, which may affect the accuracy of categorical counts. The available participant demographics are provided in Table 1 . The university’s Institutional Review Board has bestowed exemption status upon this data; clearing it for use in research settings. Table 1 Interview and focus group participants’ demographic information. Descriptor Number a Percentage (%) Grade Band Elementary school (K-5) 14 32 Middle school (6–8) 16 36 High School (9–12) 13 30 College level 1 2 Subject AIG 2 3 Career and Technical Education 8 13 English Language Arts 8 13 Exceptional Children 2 3 Information and Technologies 1 2 Mathematics 6 10 Media 1 2 Science 20 33 Social Studies 8 13 STEAM/STEM 5 8 a Number of Fellows indicating they taught in the designated grade band or subject area. Several fellows taught both in multiple grade bands and multiple subject areas. 3.2 Context Founded in 2000 by [Institute] at [University], TFP’s structure is rooted in situated learning theory whereby the learners (i.e., in-service educators) gain new skills through authentic participation in contexts outside of their daily experience (Lave & Wenger, 1991 ). TFP’s yearlong Fellowships include: Open to inservice, K-12 teachers of all disciplines Competitive selection process One hundred and twenty hour summer SET with either an industry partner or university research laboratory Development of a strong community of practice (Mercieca, 2017 ) Eighty hours of residential, research-based (Darling-Hammond et al., 2017 ; Desimone, 2009 ; Kennedy, 2016 ; Sims et al., 2023) PD $ 5,000 stipend Creation of a capstone product that translates their immersion learnings into experiences for their students The 80 hours of PD are provided by in-service educators who are TFP alumni and focus on innovative pedagogies, inclusive classroom culture (Frank, 2018 ), and teacher leadership (Nguyen et al., 2020 ). The PD hours are spread across residential summer, fall, and spring institutes. All TFP-provided PD adheres to the following design principals: Leverage the expertise of participating teachers Avoid passive, “sit-and-get” delivery Encourage the “rule of two feet” to promote agency Provide actionable, classroom-ready strategies Ensure facilitation by practicing classroom teachers who are TFP alumni Note, the “rule of two feet” states that participants should immediately switch PD sessions if they feel that their needs are not being met in the session that they are attending. Supplementary File B maps the elements of the [Fellowship Program] to the elements of PD best practices as described by Darling-Hammond et al. ( 2017 ) and Desimone ( 2009 ). 3.3 Data Collection This study reports the findings of our qualitative analysis of 56 individual interview transcripts and three focus group transcripts ( n = 73 Teachers). All interviews were conducted by external evaluators unaffiliated with program design or facilitation. Interviews were conducted virtually in 2018–2021 and 2024 via phone or Zoom, lasted between 15–30 minutes, and were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Interviews followed a semi-structured protocol (Supplementary File C), with major topics covering Fellows’ experiences with (1) changes to themselves or their practice, (2) network building, (3) their three-week SET, and (4) their general time in TFP. Interviews conducted between 2018 and 2021 were used to develop the initial coding framework. The focus groups conducted in 2024 were used to validate the coding framework and augment the study dataset. 3.4 Data Analysis Our qualitative data analysis was conducted with Atlas.ti (version 24.1.1) and employed both inductive and deductive approaches. Initial open coding (Corbin & Strauss, 2015 ) was completed independently by each of the three authors on a subset of eight transcripts (two from each year 2018–2021). Double-coding was often employed to illuminate related concepts when respondents wove multiple ideas into a single train of thought (Saldana, 2009 ). The authors then discussed discrepancies between their analyses until consensus was reached on an initial set of fifty-eight codes. This process was repeated through two more rounds, resulting in 24 documents coded by the study authors (with consensus reached on each document) and a codebook consisting of 46 semi-final codes. Ten percent of the remaining data was then selected to be independently coded by the first and second authors. Based on Atlas.ti results, an intercoder agreement of 75.4% was calculated for these transcripts. The 46 final codes were then grouped into 14 emergent categories, and the 14 emergent categories were deductively grouped under the main elements of Clark and Hollingsworth’s (2002) IMPG, including: Change Environment, External Domain, Personal Domain, Domain of Practice, Domain of Consequence, Reflection and Enactment. The lead author then coded the remaining 26 interview transcripts and three focus group transcripts and made a final round of revisions to the codebook, resulting in 44 codes. Finally, the second and third authors reviewed the last set of documents coded by the first author. Disagreements were discussed until consensus was reached on the coding of each document. Data from 1,097 quotations are included in our analysis. A full list of codes and frequencies organized by domain and category is provided in Supplementary File D. Note, the coding hierarchy is identified as follows in the report of results: IMPG Domain, Emergent Category , Code . 4.0 Results 4.1 Beneficial Elements of the [Fellowship Program] Fellows were asked to identify the best things about the program. Responses to this prompt ( n = 59) were grouped into four categories: Network of Fellows ( n = 45), Professional Development ( n = 43), Program Infrastructure and Values ( n = 43), and Industry Connections ( n = 25). A brief summary of the findings pertaining to each category is provided below. 4.1.1. The [Fellowship] Fellows Network Across the entire dataset 209 quotations received codes associated with the Network of Fellows category. Amongst the codes attached to these quotations, the following three were employed most frequently: Collaboration ( n = 67), Support System ( n = 37), and Inspiration ( n = 34). Fellows consistently described their cohorts as a source of inspiration, emotional support, and pedagogical collaboration. The following quote from Fellow N (2018) is characteristic of those who felt inspired, “It pushed me to be even better … being around them, it’s like ‘wow, they are really doing great things,’ like I want to be as good as they are. ” Fellow F (2020) explained the support they received saying, “This year has been really, really hard ” and that seeing their cohort at the fall institute was a “motivational tool” that provided an “exciting charge.” Focus group speaker 2 (2024) described their collaboration with other teachers in their cohort in a way that was common across the data: My biggest thing is the connections that I've made with everybody here. There's countless times throughout the school year where I was able to reach out to other people within the state and actually get some really great content for my kids and have some virtual online stuff, meet up with people in the mountains and people at the beach and everything like that, and hearing some really good insights. And I'm a fifth grade teacher and a lot of my other people in the cohort are middle school, high school. So making that connection to where we're learning in fifth grade builds the foundation for what they will learn in high school and middle school. 4.1.2 Professional Development The seeds of these strong cohort networks were planted during the three, residential PD institutes in which every Fellow takes part. The Summer Institute ( n = 42) was particularly impactful. As explained by Fellow H (2020), “I think they do a great job, when we went to summer institute, of providing educational times and then also bonding times. So whenever we have gotten back together, it's like, ‘Oh my God, it's great to see you again.’.” Fellow B (2019) referred to the Summer Institute as “a launch pad for so much, almost like a foundation.” Bearing this in mind, it follows that the second most-referenced beneficial program element was the PD. Considering the entire dataset, the Professional Development category was cited 133 times. Fellows described the professional development as unusually empowering and relevant. Several called it the best PD they had ever received, particularly praising its asset-based design and educator-led facilitation. As one Fellow noted, How they operated their professional development for us to create space for our voices to be heard, and for people to talk across the state about the different challenges we face as teachers, that was really cool because that definitely helped me gain perspective. Some professional development could have been presented like, "I'm the only one with something to say in the room," and like, "Hey I've been a [Fellowship] Fellow before and I'm really awesome," but the way that they did it instead was like, "Hey I have some cool ideas, and also so do you, and we want to hear about those." So empowering us to realize the answers we need were already in the room, they were just facilitating the conversation. I think that's something that [Fellowship] Fellows does really well is making you realize you already had the tools you needed, and it's just giving you the opportunity to acknowledge them, and bring those out of you. 4.1.3 Program Infrastructure and Values To interviewees, the program’s Infrastructure and Values ( n = 43) was as valuable as the Network of Fellows , and Professional Development . Across the entire dataset, Infrastructure and Values were referenced 112 times. Fellows frequently referenced the availability and responsiveness of program staff for support and feedback; the program staff’s attention to detail in planning events and handling travel logistics; the Fellowship stipend, structured time to think deeply about their curricular project; consistent communication from the program; and industry networking events. Notably, Fellows frequently ( n = 40) noted that they felt that TFP Values and Elevates Teachers as Professionals . The following quote by Fellow F (2020) is characteristic of many: Throughout the whole program I feel like they have treated us as... How do I phrase this? They have treated us in such a professional way, where I feel so respected and valued, when our political context doesn't necessarily treat teachers the same way. And so to me, it was just very motivating to have someone recognize the professional skillset that I do have and bring, help me nurture it and grow that skillset. 4.1.4 Industry Connections While the above three categories were the most prominent in Fellows’ explanations of the program components that were the best, about half ( n = 25) of the interviewees also spoke about their summer immersion experiences with their industry partners. For many of these Fellows, the immersion experience was particularly important for building their knowledge of domains outside of the world of education, helping them understand how to prepare their students for the future workforce, building their professional network, and building their empathy for their students. As noted by Fellow F (2020), The opportunity to be in a STEM organization for three weeks, and seeing the world outside the school building. That to me was really powerful in that I got to speak with experts, and I also got to hear more about their pipeline struggles in terms of filling STEM industry jobs. And then also too, them having to explain their work to me, who has very little background knowledge of some of these issues, was a great reminder for me of breaking down complex ideas into more digestible parts for my young students. 4.2 Impact of The [Fellowship Program] on Teachers’ Professional Growth Considering the three major domains of teachers’ professional growth - Personal, Practice, and Consequence - Fellows most frequently spoke of growth in their Personal Domain ( n = 371), followed by the Domain of Consequence ( n = 241), and their Domain of Practice ( n = 211). Though Clarke and Hollingsworth (2002) are clear that teachers’ growth is non-linear, reporting on these domains from Personal, to Practice, to Consequence provides a logical progression to organize the presentation of these findings. 4.2.1 Personal Domain Teachers spoke of their Personal domain more frequently than any other domain, with extensive discussions of changes in their Knowledge ( n = 160), Beliefs ( n = 128), and Attitudes ( n = 69). Within the category of Knowledge - and reflecting the program’s pairing of PD with SET - teachers spoke in nearly equal proportions of New Instructional Practices ( n = 64) and New Content and Workforce Skills ( n = 58). Speaking from the depths of a pandemic-era Fellowship, Fellow I (2021) noted that, Largely through that professional development that's continued through the year, I've developed a lot of practices that have worked really well virtually, as communication and collaboration between students, as far as some of the electronic tools that have been very helpful in making sure to reach all students really, and differentiation has been the biggest piece of that, right? To have some tools to reach all levels has been fantastic. Discussing their new understanding of the variety of workforce pathways available to their students, Fellow B (2020) explained that they had gained, A new appreciation for students who don't have the desire to go on to college, just knowing that they can definitely make a difference, that there are jobs out there for students who don't want to pursue a four year degree or some sort of education outside of high school. Because there are definitely, there's a job for everyone. There's a need for all people. One of the most notable shifts that teachers spoke of across the dataset were changes in their Beliefs ( n = 128), specifically new Feelings of Self-Efficacy and Empowerment ( n = 111). The consequences of this enhanced self-efficacy will be discussed further on in the results, but the following quote by Fellow 1 (2024) was echoed across the transcripts, I just feel emboldened more … I think you have to be kind of that beacon and lead by example. And sometimes you're a cheerleader and sometimes no, you're not a cheerleader. You're just doing your thing. And lead by example, be that servant leader despite all the negativity. And we're not perfect. Just because we now are [Fellowship] Fellow alum, that doesn't mean we don't have our bad days. But we have been put into this position now that we've got to kind of carry that mantle not only for the program, but just for the profession. But do it despite and in spite of what everybody might say. Finally, speaking to shifts in their dispositions, numerous teachers described Desires to Expand Influence ( n = 33) and feeling Re-energized ( n = 28). Tying together the category of new Knowledge with Desires to Expand Influence and feeling Re-energized , Fellow E (2019) provides an analogy, When you first become a chef, they have you taste different spices and different foods so that you can open up your palette to different tastes and different flavors and be able to recognize them. I kind of tie that into teaching. I've learned all these different techniques and tricks and learned all this information and it's opened up my teaching palette. It's almost made me more enthusiastic about teaching and sharing my knowledge and things that I've learned with not only my students, but also bringing it back to the staff to be able to kind of rejuvenate them and re-enthuse them in the classroom. 4.2.2 Domain of Practice Growth in teachers’ Personal Domains frequently translated into professional experimentation, as evidenced by 211 references to their Domain of Practice—most commonly related to shifts in Pedagogy (n = 136) and the formation of new Community Connections (n = 54). Reflecting TFP’s dual-focus model, teachers spoke with equal frequency about shifting their Pedagogy towards Student Centered Teaching and Learner Agency ( n = 56) and Integrating Specific Learning From Immersion into Instruction ( n = 56). Fellow C (2020) provides a good example of the manifestation of both of these codes when describing their approach to instruction following their Fellowship. Fellow C spent their summer immersion in a university chemical engineering lab. When asked if the Fellowship had shifted their instructional practice, Fellow C explained at length that the pedagogical focus on project based learning (PBL) and student-centered instruction combined with the technical, physical lab work they observed during their immersion clarified for them that educational technologies have a role in the classroom, but that it may be more important to engage students in solving difficult problems through working in teams and using physical materials. Consequently, this teacher shifted away from reliance on educational technology and towards hands-on problem solving. Teachers also engaged in professional experimentation through Forming New Community Connections . As will be discussed at length in the final section of the results report, spending time immersed in the context of another profession often emboldened teachers to independently reach out to other organizations in their communities to form new partnerships. Broadly speaking, many of the Fellows came to believe that community connections would benefit their classrooms and that it was their responsibility to form the relationships that would enrich their learning communities. As explained by Fellow 2 (2024), I feel like I'm more capable of reaching out to industries or local businesses through this because, I mean, from my internship, it was ask until we say no. So kind of taking that and be like, "Yeah, that's actually absolutely, I'm going to keep asking and what's the worst they can do is they can tell me, no." 4.2.3 Domain of Consequence Teachers’ reflections on the Domain of Consequence ( n = 241) reveal that the program produced tangible outcomes in their classrooms and professional roles, particularly in the areas of student opportunities, leadership, and student engagement. There were a total of 162 quotations associated with Teacher Outcomes and 79 quotations associated with Student Outcomes . Teachers largely spoke of Creating New Opportunities for their Students ( n = 95) (e.g., guest speakers, trips to immersion sites, access to internships) and Demonstrating Leadership ( n = 43) through either starting new initiatives or taking on leadership roles within their schools. Often, the teachers interviewed Demonstrated Leadership to Create New Opportunities for their Students . As an example, in a lengthy response Fellow M (2019) discussed how they felt emboldened to initiate a schoolwide project wherein fourth grade students mentored second grade students on a specific skill, then second grade students did the same for kindergarteners. Fellow M also started an after school program for girls who “love math.” While reports of specific student outcomes are hard to verify, 72 quotations were associated with the idea of Enhanced Student Engagement and Critical Thinking . The bulk of these quotations focused on the idea that shifts in teachers’ pedagogy or inclusion of the teachers’ immersion experience in class enhanced students’ engagement within the classroom. Fellow I (2021) reported increased student engagement and long-term interest in Fellowship topics, particularly in their capstone course on carbon sequestration: I will say I've had a couple that have shown a much higher level of interest specifically, in the topic of the Fellowship [Carbon Sequestration] and the PBL that we designed through it, to the point where, to keep this as short as possible without describing the entire class, it's a class that I wrote the curriculum for where students complete their capstone project for their STEM academy graduation, and so they put together all these ideas of energy and sustainability as they've gone through high school, and then they address one of the grand challenges or grand engineering challenges put forth by the National Academy of Engineers as seniors. And I have had a significantly higher number choose carbon sequestration, the topic that we did the PBL on, than I have ever had in the past. In all of the years that I've done this combined, in the four to five years I've done this combined, I've had more this year choose that topic. 4.3 Interactions Between IMPG Domains —----------------------------------------------------- Figure 2 IMPG domains with linking code co-occurrences. —---------------------------------------------------- While the above-demonstrated growth in teachers’ individual domains is encouraging, Clarke and Hollingsworth (2002) are exceedingly clear that the domains are not isolated from one another; rather, they emphasize that teacher professional growth occurs as the individual domains interact with one another to produce change. To that end, this final section of the results examines code co-occurrences that highlight interactions between teachers’ individual domains. 4.3.1 Interactions Between the External and Personal Domains Figure 2 reveals the complex interplay between the External Domain and teachers’ internal domains, as well as between the internal domains themselves. Upon examination, there are clear associations between the individual elements of the External Domain (i.e., Industry Connections , Professional Development , Program Infrastructure and Values , Brand Recognition ) and two primary components of teachers’ Personal Domain: their Knowledge and their Beliefs . There are clear differentiations between the associations of the individual elements of the External Domain and teachers’ references to changes in their Knowledge and Beliefs . Industry Connections and Professional Development were most clearly associated with changes in teachers’ Knowledge with 72 quotations containing code co-occurrences between codes connected to changes in teachers’ Knowledge and codes connected to either Industry Connections or Professional Development . These co-occurring codes encompass 47% of all codes in the Knowledge category and are nearly evenly distributed between Industry Connections and Professional Development . While teachers clearly connected Industry Connections and Professional Development to changes in their Knowledge , the 52 co-occurrences between codes related to teachers’ discussions of changes in their Beliefs and codes under the umbrella of the External Domain were nearly evenly distributed across the four individual elements of the External Domain. 4.3.2 External Domain to Domain of Consequence The associations discussed by teachers revealed a pathway between the External Domain and teacher-identified improvements in students’ Engagement and Critical Thinking. A typical set of associations for this pathway involves a teacher first learning about new career pathways or workforce skills during their SET (External Domain) and gaining student-centered pedagogical skills from the provided Professional Development (External Domain). This new knowledge manifests in the transcripts as New Instructional Practices (Personal Domain) and New Knowledge of Workforce Skills and Pathways (Personal Domain). Teachers then frequently Integrated Specific Lessons from their Immersion (Domain of Practice) in Student-Centered Teaching (Domain of Practice). Finally, teachers reported that these Student Centered Lessons resulted in improved Student Engagement and Critical Thinking . As noted by a Fellow B (2019): I think my instructional practice has really done a 180. Honestly, it's gone from mostly scripted lesson plans that focused down on one or two goals that we just gotta do, to more of an inquiry-based type practice … I think the kids are really responding. My lessons are more interdisciplinary. I've been able to incorporate science and engineering and just make connections in those fields, as well. 4.3.3 Enactments Manifest in the Domain of Consequence Finally, one of the most salient, multi-domain pathways of interaction in this analysis involved co-occurrences of Feelings of Increased Self-Efficacy (Personal Domain) with enactment through teachers taking a specific Agentic Action (Reflection and Enactment) to Form Community Connections (Domain of Practice) that Create Opportunities for Students (Domain of Consequence) (Fig. 2). Thirty-seven percent ( n = 41) of the Increased Feelings of Self-Efficacy codes were connected to the teacher taking a specific Agentic Action . Thirty-five percent ( n = 33) of those agentic actions were taken to Form Community Connections . Forty-four percent ( n = 24) of those community connections resulted in Opportunities for Students . The following quote from a 2019 Fellow is characteristic of this pathway: I think a big thing for me is realizing that I can't do this alone. Then understanding that there are people that do want to help you. What it has done for me is made me more bold in just asking for the things that I need as a teacher. Those aren't always like consumables or things that come with money, it's going to businesses or even partnering with [University] this year and saying like hey, we need mentors from your program, and people actually saying yes. So it's made me realize there are people out there who do want to also affect education, and it takes teachers who are brave enough to hear no a couple of times and keep going. 5.0 Discussion and Conclusions The findings of this study reveal that TFP participants most valued the professional networks that they built, the PD that they received, the quality of the program infrastructure that they experienced, and the SETs in which they participated. Further, the SET + PD model of TFP produced notable growth in teachers’ Personal domain, and complex interactions between domains resulted in teachers’ Fellowship experiences translating into new opportunities for their students. While these findings are notable, four additional topics warrant further discussion. 5.1 The Value of Integrating SETs with Pedagogical PD Our findings indicate that integrating SETs with sustained pedagogical/leadership PD is associated with notable growth across IMPG domains and much of this growth is the results of synergistic effects between the SET and the PD components of the program. For example, PD/Industry ->Knowledge quotations account for 47% of all Knowledge-related co-occurrences. While previous work on SETs by Barrett and Usselman ( 2006 ), Bowen ( 2014 ; 2015 ), and Bowen and Shume ( 2018 ; 2020 ) reveal increases in teachers’ knowledge and motivation, our work extends the literature in response to Hurley and Colleagues’ ( 2024 ) call to investigate the effects of SETs on teachers’ professional growth by tying growth in teachers’ Personal domains to specific elements of the program’s External domain. Additionally, like teachers investigated by Barrett and Usselman ( 2006 ) and Thomson and Turner ( 2019 ), TFP Fellows demonstrated increased self-efficacy ( n = 111). This study extends our understanding of the importance of that increased self-efficacy by drawing a direct line from self-efficacy to agentic actions that resulted in new opportunities for students. Further, TFP’s inclusion of residential, pedagogical and leadership PD seems to have further enhanced the impact of the experience by providing teachers with space to build a collaborative and inspiring community of practice that enhanced Fellows’ professional networks and extended the impacts of their Fellowship. The mechanism behind the reported changes in the interviewed teachers can be analyzed through the lens of teacher PD frameworks. As noted above, isolated STEM immersions provide a specific body of knowledge or new insights and motivation (Kennedy, 2016 ). However, Kennedy ( 2016 ) notes that PD in these categories tends to have the lowest impact on student learning, likely because it only builds teachers’ knowledge without offering new pedagogical strategies or influencing beliefs, such as self-efficacy (Bandura, 1997 ), that could motivate the conversion of new knowledge into pedagogical action. Sims et al. (2023) report that PD programs that only provide insights and motivation often suffer from a “Knowing-Doing Gap (pg. 5)” whereby teachers have a new set of knowledge and motivation to use it but not the skills to operationalize their new knowledge and motivation in their classrooms. The growth across IMPG domains observed in TFP alumni reveal bridges across the gap between knowing and doing. A potential mechanism behind this translation of knowledge into practice is TFP’s inclusion of several causal PD mechanisms identified by Sims and Colleagues (2023) that support teachers in developing new techniques and embedding them in practice, including: practical social support (Network of Fellows), Modelling (PD provided by master-teacher TFP alumni), Feedback (Grouping of alumni into peer review teams), Action planning (Planning sessions at Spring Institute), and Self-monitoring (Required monthly reflection blog posts). The combination of these appears to help teachers translate their Personal Domain SET knowledge and motivation into Domain of Practice instruction that leads to Domain of Consequence opportunities for students. 5.2 IMPG as a Lens for Understanding Teacher Professional Growth The IMPG (Fig. 1) provides a useful framework for interpreting how the [Fellowship Program]’s integration of SETs with sustained pedagogical and leadership PD fosters teacher growth. Across the dataset, teachers more frequently described knowledge gains than belief shifts (160 vs. 128 references in the Personal Domain), with attitudes referenced 69 times. Within knowledge, New Instructional Practices ( n = 64) and Workforce Skills/Pathways ( n = 58) were the most prevalent codes. These differences suggest that building teachers’ content and pedagogical knowledge can be achieved more readily than altering their beliefs—a finding consistent with prior literature on the relative difficulty of belief change (e.g., Guskey, 2002 ; Opfer & Pedder, 2011 ). Belief change in our study most often occurred in the context of sustained, multi-component support. Specifically, we observed 52 co-occurrences linking Beliefs with External Domain elements—distributed across Industry Connections, Professional Development, Program Infrastructure/Values, and Brand Recognition. For knowledge growth, 72 co-occurrences (47% of all Knowledge codes) involved either Professional Development or Industry Connections, underscoring the complementary nature of these components in producing Personal Domain change. A notable pathway illuminated by the IMPG was the role of agentic action—teacher-initiated steps such as creating new partnerships, launching programs, or seeking resources—as a bridge from the Personal Domain to the Domain of Practice and the Domain of Consequence. In our coding, 37% (n = 41) of self-efficacy references were linked to agentic actions; 35% (n = 33) of those actions involved forming community connections, and 44% (n = 24) of those connections led to new opportunities for students. This sequence illustrates a full External → Personal → Practice → Consequence progression, consistent with IMPG’s enactment pathway. As one Fellow explained: “It’s made me more bold in just asking for the things that I need… partnering with [University]… saying we need mentors… and people actually saying yes” (2019 Fellow). Taken together, these patterns suggest a replicable proposition: in SET + PD designs, External-Domain supports (industry immersion, sustained PD, program infrastructure) foster Personal-Domain changes (knowledge, self-efficacy), which trigger agentic actions in the Domain of Practice that culminate in student opportunities in the Domain of Consequence. This model is distinct from SET-only designs, which often lack the pedagogical and leadership scaffolding needed to sustain belief change and translate it into classroom and student-level impacts. 5.3 Implications and Recommendations for Workforce-Aligned Teacher Professional Development Recent federal and state policy actions (e.g., a U.S. executive order expanding apprenticeships; the CHIPS and Science Act; and North Carolina executive orders) underscore the need to build K–12 workforce pipelines (Exec. Order 11, 2025; Exec. Order 14278, 2025; HR 4346; 2022). For decades numerous authors have explained that traditionally-trained teachers lack knowledge of STEM workforce skills and career pathways (Navy, et al., 2021 ). Work by Hurley and Colleagues ( 2024 ) noted that there are very few SET programs in existence and that those in existence have not been linked to specific growth in teachers’ professional practice. Further, the Organization for Economics Co-operation and Development (2020) and Lund et al. ( 2021 ) call for a complete reconceptualization of K-12 education and teacher training to build teachers’ understanding of the STEM careers of the future and to prepare them to implement innovative pedagogical strategies in their classrooms to ready their students for future-work. In light of this context, TFP provides a unique framework that addresses the above-described needs through its SET + PD Fellowship model. The data presented through this study show that pairing an immersive SET with sustained PD produces professional growth that spans multiple domains of teachers’ professional practice. Leading to growth in teachers’ industry and pedagogical knowledge, increasing their self-efficacy, and providing them with network connections that they can leverage in service of their learning communities. Importantly, this research moves beyond previous SET studies to reveal the complex effects of the SET + PD model on teachers’ professional growth and demonstrate a pathway through which SET + PD initiatives can create new opportunities for K-12 students. Based on the findings of this study and TFP’s 25 year track record, we offer the following program design recommendations to other organizations seeking to adopt the SET + PD model: Pairing the SET with pedagogical and leadership PD enhances the impact of each; preparing teachers to authentically translate their immersion experiences into lessons for their students. In line with the recommended program durations in PD best practice literature (e.g., Darling-Hammond et al., 2017 ; Kennedy, 2009), we recommend that both the SET and PD include at least 40 contact hours; ideally more. Residential PD institutes with intentional community-building time result in teacher network development that expands the impact of the initiative. We recommend a minimum of one, retreat-style PD institute. Dedicated, full-time staff is required to provide high-quality experiences that result in teacher professional growth. Teacher recruitment, partnership development, funding acquisition, financial management, and PD development all require time, personnel, and intentionality that cannot be provided by individuals juggling a multitude of responsibilities. Pedagogical and leadership PD must be provided by in-service educators. This assertion undergirds all of TFP’s PD, is in line with PD best practices recommended by Darling-Hammond and Colleagues ( 2017 ), provides credibility to the PD offerings, and ensures that the pedagogical PD provided remains at the forefront of teachers’ needs. SET mentor organizations will require structured guidance and resources to design and deliver high-quality extended immersions for teachers. Because most industries lack the pedagogical expertise or capacity to independently sustain multiple weeks of meaningful engagement, programs should provide planning frameworks, orientation, and ongoing facilitation to help partners craft experiences that are both authentic to the workplace and relevant to classroom practice. The language that organizations use to communicate about their program matters. TFP’s commitment to elevating the profession of education through designating its Fellowships as a prestigious award and the use of verbiage like “investing in educators” contributes to the enhancement of teachers’ self-efficacy and amplifies the impact of the experience. If more programs that employ the SET + PD model are to be implemented, significant effort will be needed in both funding and policy. Regarding funding, entities interested in developing teacher leadership capacity, retaining teachers in the classroom, and connecting teachers to local industries should prioritize investments in models that include both robust SETs and prolonged PD experiences. Additionally, while this study provides strong evidence for the efficacy of this model, it is but a single investigation. Resources will be needed to support further research into other initiatives that attempt to implement the SET + PD model and into robust investigations of the impact of these programs on the STEM identities and career interests of the students of teachers who participate in these programs. Extensive research has shown that career exploration and intentions emerge in early adolescence (Turner & Lapan, 2005 ); sustained, employer-linked activities in middle school are associated with stronger career self-efficacy (Archer et al., 2023 ), and nearly 83% of U.S. K–12 students attend traditional public schools. Thus, building future workforces hinges on elevating the status of K-12 educators and exposing them to the careers of the future. Thus, any policy initiative focused on workforce development must specifically include provisions targeted at building K-12 teachers’ understanding of emerging workforce skills and career pathways. Furthermore, we recommend SETs be prioritized for teachers in gateway STEM courses and curriculum roles, with a focus on schools serving rural and under-resourced communities. Ultimately, the nation’s future workforce currently sits in K-12 public schools. Their teachers have the desire and motivation to prepare them for the future of work but may not have the requisite knowledge and network to do so. TFP’s SET + PD model provides a compelling framework for elevating teachers and preparing them to create future opportunities for their students. Declarations 6.1 Availability of Data and Materials The datasets used and/or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request. 6.2 Competing Interests The first author declares a potential conflict of interest as they serve as the director of the program described in this paper. This role did not influence the research design, data analysis, or interpretation of the results. The second through fourth authors declare that they have no competing interests. 6.3 Funding This research was supported by the [Institute]. 6.4 Authors’ Contributions The first author conceptualized the project, led the data analysis, and wrote the first draft of the manuscript. The second author participated in data collection, played a significant role in the data analysis, and approved the final draft of the manuscript. The third author played a significant role in the data analysis, and approved the final draft of the manuscript. 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Additional Declarations Competing interest reported. The first author declares a potential conflict of interest as they serve as the director of the program described in this paper. This role did not influence the research design, data analysis, or interpretation of the results. The second through fourth authors declare that they have no competing interests. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. 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18:37:59","extension":"html","order_by":10,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":186369,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"earlyproof.html","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7722974/v1/ee0eb6139d1a316897f79da9.html"},{"id":94133994,"identity":"39cb9967-61e6-42cf-b66e-fedbdfd6cad3","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-22 18:37:59","extension":"jpg","order_by":1,"title":"Figure 1","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":439482,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eThe Interconnected Model of Professional Growth (IMPG) adapted from Clarke and Hollingsworth (2002)\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"fig1.jpg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7722974/v1/b7dd12401724d743aa90c299.jpg"},{"id":94133991,"identity":"1f8f1f12-b7ad-44b4-afdd-9ec1aa07c271","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-22 18:37:59","extension":"jpg","order_by":2,"title":"Figure 2","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":1521274,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eIMPG domains with linking code co-occurrences.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"fig2.jpg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7722974/v1/ec979d3ecedf369c76bc452b.jpg"},{"id":94135487,"identity":"9ddabdc9-12d1-49b4-9f9d-377d282aa86e","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-22 18:54:00","extension":"pdf","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":3044284,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7722974/v1/7e47472a-153d-4890-8f06-d09728948bc4.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"Competing interest reported. The first author declares a potential conflict of interest as they serve as the director of the program described in this paper. This role did not influence the research design, data analysis, or interpretation of the results. The second through fourth authors declare that they have no competing interests.","formattedTitle":"How STEM Teacher Immersions and Pedagogical PD Drive Multi-Domain Growth: Qualitative Findings from [Fellowship Program]","fulltext":[{"header":"1.0 Introduction","content":"\u003cp\u003eAnticipated transformations in the STEM workforce\u0026mdash;including the addition of over 790,000 new jobs by 2033 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR108\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e)\u0026mdash;have intensified demands on K\u0026ndash;12 education systems to align instruction with emerging industry needs. Frontier technologies are disrupting major industries, both eliminating jobs and creating new sectors of employment in fields like Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, Biotechnology, and Agricultural Technology (World Economic Forum, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR110\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e). Simultaneously, global trade and industry incentive policies are driving the relocation of advanced manufacturing and goods production facilities to rural locations around the world. In the face of these rapid changes governments and industries alike have recognized the need to better prepare students for the future workforce by linking classroom instruction to real-world skills and career pathways (UNESCO, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR106\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAlthough policy and research emphasize both industry-informed instruction and effective pedagogy, teacher development efforts often bifurcate into content-focused industry immersions (i.e., STEM Experiences for Teachers (SETs)) or pedagogy-focused professional development (PD); rarely integrating both (Blanchard \u0026amp; Sampson, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR10\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2017\u003c/span\u003e; Hurley et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR51\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e; Mani, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR68\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e; Margot \u0026amp; Kettler, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR70\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2019\u003c/span\u003e; Sims et al., 2023). The goal of these initiatives is to improve student learning in ways that prepare students for future careers (Hurley et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR51\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e; Margot \u0026amp; Kettler, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR70\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2019\u003c/span\u003e). Much research has been devoted to identifying PD best practices, developing models for effective teacher pedagogical PD, and examining the effects of various PD models on teacher professional growth (Clarke \u0026amp; Hollingsworth, 2002; Kennedy, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR58\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2016\u003c/span\u003e; Sims et al., 2023). Concurrently, significant funding has been allocated to creating research experiences for teachers (RETs) and SETs (Bowen \u0026amp; Shume, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e; Marqusee, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR73\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDespite investments in both domains, little empirical research explores the intersection of SETs paired with sustained pedagogical development\u0026mdash;an integration that may be necessary to translate industry exposure into lasting classroom impact. While SET programs have gained popularity as a means to bridge classroom content to real-world STEM applications, extant SET programs generally do not include pedagogical PD and very few investigations have focused on evaluating the impacts of these programs on teachers\u0026rsquo; professional growth (Hurley, et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR51\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e). Similarly, despite widespread agreement that traditional PD often fails to produce sustained instructional change (Darling-Hammond et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR29\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2017\u003c/span\u003e; Kennedy, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR58\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2016\u003c/span\u003e; Sims, et al., 2023), research remains limited on how contextualized, experiential learning models\u0026mdash;particularly those involving industry immersion\u0026mdash;affect teacher growth.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWe contend that achieving shifts to in-service teachers\u0026rsquo; daily practice that result in ongoing, authentic, STEM learning experiences that prepare students for future work cannot be accomplished through either pedagogical PD or SETs alone. Rather, in-service teachers must be provided with dual-focus experiences that pair SETs with pedagogical PD (SET\u0026thinsp;+\u0026thinsp;PD) to equip them to leverage the knowledge acquired during their STEM experience. While Hurley et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR51\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e) identified research on two established SET programs, we were unable to identify any dual-focus (SET\u0026thinsp;+\u0026thinsp;PD) programs in the literature.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThus, recognizing the critical need for detailed descriptions of SET\u0026thinsp;+\u0026thinsp;PD models and investigations of the impacts of these models on teachers\u0026rsquo; professional growth, this qualitative study of the experiences of seventy-three in-service educators offers the first qualitative examination of the [Fellowship Program] for Teacher Leadership\u0026rsquo;s (TFP) influence on teachers\u0026rsquo; professional growth. TFP is unique in that it provides both sustained pedagogical PD and lengthy SETs during its yearlong fellowship. Consistent with PD goals of teacher development that leads to professional growth, this study was guided by the following research questions:\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003col\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhat elements of TFP do participants identify as most beneficial?\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003eHow does the SET\u0026thinsp;+\u0026thinsp;PD structure of TFP influence in-service teachers\u0026rsquo; growth across the domains of the Interconnected Model of Professional Growth?\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/ol\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs noted by Holvoet and Wante (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR48\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e) the body of research connecting the design of SET experiences to teacher learning is very limited. This study fills a critical gap in both PD and workforce readiness literature by describing a unique program that is not yet represented in the literature and by providing a rigorous examination of the influence of the SET\u0026thinsp;+\u0026thinsp;PD model on teachers\u0026rsquo; professional growth.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"2.0 Theoretical Background","content":"\u003cdiv id=\"Sec3\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e2.1 STEM Experiences for Teachers (SETs)\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eScholars contend that teachers prepared via traditional educator certification routes lack firsthand knowledge of the workforce pathways and critical skills associated with careers in modern STEM industries (Hurley et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR51\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e; Mani, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR65\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e). A range of stakeholders have advocated for STEM Experiences for Teachers (SETs) as a means to build educators\u0026rsquo; knowledge of STEM workplace contexts (Mani, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR68\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e). The underlying assumption of each of these initiatives is that immersing teachers in STEM environments will equip them with the knowledge and motivation to bring authentic STEM experiences to their students (Hurley et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR51\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e). Hurley et al.'s (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR51\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e) meta-analysis identified only two established SET programs on which research has been conducted: Georgia\u0026rsquo;s GIFT Program and North Dakota\u0026rsquo;s Educators in Industry: K-12 Externships. For this work we conducted an exhaustive review of both the literature and the internet to identify established (i.e., not time-limited to a single grant or research project) initiatives that provide STEM experiences to teachers. As shown in Supplementary File A, there are common elements across most of the programs (i.e., STEM Immersion, Stipend, and Product), beyond those categorical similarities, however, there is wide variability between the programs. For example, program durations range from one day to one year, immersion durations range from one day to eight weeks, and stipend amounts range from no stipend to \u003cspan\u003e$\u003c/span\u003e7,000.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eNotably, none of the programs identified, except for TFP, provide pedagogical or leadership professional development in addition to the STEM immersion experience. While SETs build content knowledge about STEM industries, sustainable changes in practice require structured pedagogical development that enables teachers to translate workplace experiences into instructional innovations. The [Fellowship Program] uniquely addresses this need through its integrated SET\u0026thinsp;+\u0026thinsp;PD model. Thus, this study contributes to the advancement of the limited body of literature focused on STEM experiences for teachers by describing a program not represented in the literature.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec4\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e2.2 Influence of SETs and RETs on Teacher Growth\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs noted above, investigations of the impact of STEM immersion experiences on teachers\u0026rsquo; professional growth and practice is lacking. The existing SET research identified by Hurley and colleagues (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR51\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e) shows that these programs successfully increased teachers\u0026rsquo; knowledge of STEM careers and workforce skills, as well as their intentions and motivations to incorporate lessons from their externships into their classrooms (Barrett \u0026amp; Usselman, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR6\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2006\u003c/span\u003e; Bowen, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR12\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2014\u003c/span\u003e; \u003cspan citationid=\"CR15\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2015\u003c/span\u003e; Bowen \u0026amp; Shume, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e; \u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e). Similarly, RETs have been shown to increase teachers\u0026rsquo; understandings of the Nature of Science and Scientific Inquiry, understanding of and appreciation for the Engineering Design Process, allowance for student autonomy, implementation of inquiry-based instruction, and ability to function as scientists (Buxner, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR24\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2014\u003c/span\u003e; Faber, et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR39\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2014\u003c/span\u003e; Shume, et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR94\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e; Stieben, et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR97\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e). Although SETs and RETs have been shown to increase teachers\u0026rsquo; knowledge and motivation, their effects on teachers\u0026rsquo; professional practice remain underexplored. The present study begins to address this gap by examining how principles of effective professional development might be applied to the design of these programs.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec5\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e2.3 Effective Professional Development\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eDecades of research on effective professional development (PD) consistently point to several key features that enable sustained changes in teacher practice. Darling-Hammond et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR29\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2017\u003c/span\u003e) emphasize that PD must be content-focused, incorporate active learning strategies, foster collaboration, and provide opportunities for sustained reflection and feedback. Similarly, Desimone (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR31\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2009\u003c/span\u003e) highlights coherence with teachers\u0026rsquo; daily practice and a focus on student outcomes as critical to impactful PD.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRecent scholarship has further refined our understanding of how PD translates into instructional change. Kennedy (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR58\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2016\u003c/span\u003e) argues that effective PD must provide teachers not only with insights (new knowledge and beliefs) but also with techniques (strategies for application) and structured opportunities for practice embedding (sustained classroom use). This emphasis on enactment and situated application resonates with Clarke and Hollingsworth\u0026rsquo;s (2002) Interconnected Model of Professional Growth (IMPG), which describes teacher learning as an iterative process of reflection and practice within personal, external, and consequential domains.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSims et al. (2023) extend this argument by proposing that PD programs often succeed in fostering teacher motivation and delivering new insights, yet fail to provide the structural support necessary for teachers to integrate new practices into their instructional routines. This limitation is particularly relevant in the context of SETs, which, while effective at increasing content knowledge and enthusiasm, frequently lack the pedagogical scaffolding needed to translate workplace experiences into classroom practice.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThus, to be effective, SET programs must be paired with PD structures that explicitly address how teachers will adapt and embed their immersion experiences into their teaching. This integrated approach\u0026mdash;combining experiential learning with pedagogical and leadership development\u0026mdash;is central to TFP, which offers both an immersive industry externship and a comprehensive PD sequence designed to support reflection, collaboration, and classroom application. In this study, we examine how TFP\u0026rsquo;s SET\u0026thinsp;+\u0026thinsp;PD model aligns with these established principles of effective PD and explore its influence on teachers\u0026rsquo; professional growth across the domains outlined in IMPG.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec6\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e2.4 Interconnected Model of Professional Growth\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026mdash;------------------------------------------------------\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eFigure 1\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe Interconnected Model of Professional Growth (IMPG) adapted from Clarke and Hollingsworth (2002)\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026mdash;------------------------------------------------------\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTo make sense of how teachers internalize and enact learning from immersive experiences, this study uses the Interconnected Model of Professional Growth (IMPG; Clarke \u0026amp; Hollingsworth, 2002) shown in Fig.\u0026nbsp;1, a non-linear model well-suited for capturing the complex dynamics of situated teacher learning. Clarke and Hollingsworth\u0026rsquo;s (2002) model divides teachers\u0026rsquo; experiences into four domains: External Domain, Personal Domain, Domain of Practice, and Domain of Consequence. These domains are all situated within the Change Environment (i.e., teachers\u0026rsquo; instructional context). According to Clarke and Hollingsworth (2002), teacher professional growth begins with experiences, usually PD engagements, that comprise the External Domain. The External Domain acts as an input that influences teachers\u0026rsquo; Personal Domain (i.e., their Knowledge, Beliefs, Attitudes, Dispositions) and their Domain of Practice (i.e., their instructional practice). Ultimately, the results of their experimentation in the Domain of Practice emerge in the Domain of Consequence as salient outcomes. Importantly, Clarke and Hollingsworth (2002) emphasize that teachers\u0026rsquo; professional growth does not occur in an isolated domain or in a linear fashion, rather professional growth is the result of ongoing cycles of reflection and enactment that connect the various domains as teachers learn, experiment, gather data, reflect, and revise. Given the IMPG\u0026rsquo;s emphasis on the complex nature of teachers\u0026rsquo; professional growth and explicit connections between PD inputs, teacher learning, teacher practice, and outcomes; the IMPG is an ideal analytic lens for this study.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"3.0 Methods","content":"\u003cdiv id=\"Sec8\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e3.1 Study Design\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec9\" class=\"Section3\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e3.1.1 Study Participants\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis qualitative study examines the experiences of 73 in-service teachers who participated in TFP between 2018 and 2021 and 2023\u0026ndash;2024. an explanation for the gap in data collection is provided below. Invitations to participate in the interviews were extended to all of the Fellows in each concluding cohort. Study participants consented to participation in the evaluation interviews and the study sample consists of teachers who opted into the interviews and focus groups. Forty-two of the 73 interviewees provided grade level and subject area data. Several participants reported teaching across multiple subject areas and grade bands, particularly those at the elementary level or with interdisciplinary roles, which may affect the accuracy of categorical counts. The available participant demographics are provided in Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e. The university\u0026rsquo;s Institutional Review Board has bestowed exemption status upon this data; clearing it for use in research settings.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab1\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 1\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eInterview and focus group participants\u0026rsquo; demographic information.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"3\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eDescriptor\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNumber\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePercentage (%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eGrade Band\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eElementary school (K-5)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e14\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e32\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMiddle school (6\u0026ndash;8)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e16\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e36\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eHigh School (9\u0026ndash;12)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e13\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e30\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCollege level\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eSubject\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eAIG\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCareer and Technical Education\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e8\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e13\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eEnglish Language Arts\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e8\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e13\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eExceptional Children\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eInformation and Technologies\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMathematics\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e6\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e10\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMedia\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eScience\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e20\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e33\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSocial Studies\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e8\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e13\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSTEAM/STEM\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e8\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003eNumber of Fellows indicating they taught in the designated grade band or subject area. Several fellows taught both in multiple grade bands and multiple subject areas.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec10\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e3.2 Context\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eFounded in 2000 by [Institute] at [University], TFP\u0026rsquo;s structure is rooted in situated learning theory whereby the learners (i.e., in-service educators) gain new skills through authentic participation in contexts outside of their daily experience (Lave \u0026amp; Wenger, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR60\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1991\u003c/span\u003e). TFP\u0026rsquo;s yearlong Fellowships include:\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003col\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003eOpen to inservice, K-12 teachers of all disciplines\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003eCompetitive selection process\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003eOne hundred and twenty hour summer SET with either an industry partner or university research laboratory\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003eDevelopment of a strong community of practice (Mercieca, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR76\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2017\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003eEighty hours of residential, research-based (Darling-Hammond et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR29\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2017\u003c/span\u003e; Desimone, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR31\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2009\u003c/span\u003e; Kennedy, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR58\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2016\u003c/span\u003e; Sims et al., 2023) PD\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e$\u003c/span\u003e5,000 stipend\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003eCreation of a capstone product that translates their immersion learnings into experiences for their students\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/ol\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe 80 hours of PD are provided by in-service educators who are TFP alumni and focus on innovative pedagogies, inclusive classroom culture (Frank, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR42\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e), and teacher leadership (Nguyen et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR82\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e). The PD hours are spread across residential summer, fall, and spring institutes. All TFP-provided PD adheres to the following design principals:\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003col\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003eLeverage the expertise of participating teachers\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003eAvoid passive, \u0026ldquo;sit-and-get\u0026rdquo; delivery\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003eEncourage the \u0026ldquo;rule of two feet\u0026rdquo; to promote agency\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003eProvide actionable, classroom-ready strategies\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003eEnsure facilitation by practicing classroom teachers who are TFP alumni\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/ol\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eNote, the \u0026ldquo;rule of two feet\u0026rdquo; states that participants should immediately switch PD sessions if they feel that their needs are not being met in the session that they are attending. Supplementary File B maps the elements of the [Fellowship Program] to the elements of PD best practices as described by Darling-Hammond et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR29\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2017\u003c/span\u003e) and Desimone (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR31\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2009\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec11\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e3.3 Data Collection\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis study reports the findings of our qualitative analysis of 56 individual interview transcripts and three focus group transcripts (\u003cem\u003en\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;73 Teachers). All interviews were conducted by external evaluators unaffiliated with program design or facilitation. Interviews were conducted virtually in 2018\u0026ndash;2021 and 2024 via phone or Zoom, lasted between 15\u0026ndash;30 minutes, and were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Interviews followed a semi-structured protocol (Supplementary File C), with major topics covering Fellows\u0026rsquo; experiences with (1) changes to themselves or their practice, (2) network building, (3) their three-week SET, and (4) their general time in TFP. Interviews conducted between 2018 and 2021 were used to develop the initial coding framework. The focus groups conducted in 2024 were used to validate the coding framework and augment the study dataset.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec12\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e3.4 Data Analysis\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eOur qualitative data analysis was conducted with Atlas.ti (version 24.1.1) and employed both inductive and deductive approaches. Initial open coding (Corbin \u0026amp; Strauss, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR27\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2015\u003c/span\u003e) was completed independently by each of the three authors on a subset of eight transcripts (two from each year 2018\u0026ndash;2021). Double-coding was often employed to illuminate related concepts when respondents wove multiple ideas into a single train of thought (Saldana, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR89\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2009\u003c/span\u003e). The authors then discussed discrepancies between their analyses until consensus was reached on an initial set of fifty-eight codes. This process was repeated through two more rounds, resulting in 24 documents coded by the study authors (with consensus reached on each document) and a codebook consisting of 46 semi-final codes. Ten percent of the remaining data was then selected to be independently coded by the first and second authors. Based on Atlas.ti results, an intercoder agreement of 75.4% was calculated for these transcripts. The 46 final codes were then grouped into 14 emergent categories, and the 14 emergent categories were deductively grouped under the main elements of Clark and Hollingsworth\u0026rsquo;s (2002) IMPG, including: Change Environment, External Domain, Personal Domain, Domain of Practice, Domain of Consequence, Reflection and Enactment. The lead author then coded the remaining 26 interview transcripts and three focus group transcripts and made a final round of revisions to the codebook, resulting in 44 codes. Finally, the second and third authors reviewed the last set of documents coded by the first author. Disagreements were discussed until consensus was reached on the coding of each document. Data from 1,097 quotations are included in our analysis. A full list of codes and frequencies organized by domain and category is provided in Supplementary File D. Note, the coding hierarchy is identified as follows in the report of results: IMPG Domain, \u003cspan type=\"ItalicUnderline\" class=\"ItalicUnderline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003eEmergent Category\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cem\u003eCode\u003c/em\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"4.0 Results","content":"\u003cdiv id=\"Sec14\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e4.1 Beneficial Elements of the [Fellowship Program]\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eFellows were asked to identify the best things about the program. Responses to this prompt (\u003cem\u003en\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;59) were grouped into four categories: \u003cspan type=\"ItalicUnderline\" class=\"ItalicUnderline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003eNetwork of Fellows\u003c/span\u003e (\u003cem\u003en\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;45), \u003cspan type=\"ItalicUnderline\" class=\"ItalicUnderline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003eProfessional Development\u003c/span\u003e (\u003cem\u003en\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;43), \u003cspan type=\"ItalicUnderline\" class=\"ItalicUnderline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003eProgram Infrastructure and Values\u003c/span\u003e (\u003cem\u003en\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;43), and \u003cspan type=\"ItalicUnderline\" class=\"ItalicUnderline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003eIndustry Connections\u003c/span\u003e (\u003cem\u003en\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;25). A brief summary of the findings pertaining to each category is provided below.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec15\" class=\"Section3\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e4.1.1. The [Fellowship] Fellows Network\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eAcross the entire dataset 209 quotations received codes associated with the \u003cspan type=\"ItalicUnderline\" class=\"ItalicUnderline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003eNetwork of Fellows\u003c/span\u003e category. Amongst the codes attached to these quotations, the following three were employed most frequently: \u003cem\u003eCollaboration\u003c/em\u003e (\u003cem\u003en\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;67), \u003cem\u003eSupport System\u003c/em\u003e (\u003cem\u003en\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;37), and \u003cem\u003eInspiration\u003c/em\u003e (\u003cem\u003en\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;34). Fellows consistently described their cohorts as a source of inspiration, emotional support, and pedagogical collaboration. The following quote from Fellow N (2018) is characteristic of those who felt inspired, \u0026ldquo;It pushed me to be even better \u0026hellip; being around them, it\u0026rsquo;s like \u0026lsquo;wow, they are really doing great things,\u0026rsquo; like I want to be as good as they are.\u003cem\u003e\u0026rdquo;\u003c/em\u003e Fellow F (2020) explained the support they received saying, \u0026ldquo;This year has been really, really hard\u003cem\u003e\u0026rdquo;\u003c/em\u003e and that seeing their cohort at the fall institute was a \u0026ldquo;motivational tool\u0026rdquo; that provided an \u0026ldquo;exciting charge.\u0026rdquo; Focus group speaker 2 (2024) described their collaboration with other teachers in their cohort in a way that was common across the data:\u003cdiv class=\"BlockQuote\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMy biggest thing is the connections that I've made with everybody here. There's countless times throughout the school year where I was able to reach out to other people within the state and actually get some really great content for my kids and have some virtual online stuff, meet up with people in the mountains and people at the beach and everything like that, and hearing some really good insights. And I'm a fifth grade teacher and a lot of my other people in the cohort are middle school, high school. So making that connection to where we're learning in fifth grade builds the foundation for what they will learn in high school and middle school.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec16\" class=\"Section3\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e4.1.2 Professional Development\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe seeds of these strong cohort networks were planted during the three, residential PD institutes in which every Fellow takes part. The \u003cem\u003eSummer Institute\u003c/em\u003e (\u003cem\u003en\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;42) was particularly impactful. As explained by Fellow H (2020), \u0026ldquo;I think they do a great job, when we went to summer institute, of providing educational times and then also bonding times. So whenever we have gotten back together, it's like, \u0026lsquo;Oh my God, it's great to see you again.\u0026rsquo;.\u0026rdquo; Fellow B (2019) referred to the Summer Institute as \u0026ldquo;a launch pad for so much, almost like a foundation.\u0026rdquo; Bearing this in mind, it follows that the second most-referenced beneficial program element was the PD. Considering the entire dataset, the \u003cspan type=\"ItalicUnderline\" class=\"ItalicUnderline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003eProfessional Development\u003c/span\u003e category was cited 133 times. Fellows described the professional development as unusually empowering and relevant. Several called it the best PD they had ever received, particularly praising its asset-based design and educator-led facilitation. As one Fellow noted,\u003cdiv class=\"BlockQuote\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eHow they operated their professional development for us to create space for our voices to be heard, and for people to talk across the state about the different challenges we face as teachers, that was really cool because that definitely helped me gain perspective. Some professional development could have been presented like, \"I'm the only one with something to say in the room,\" and like, \"Hey I've been a [Fellowship] Fellow before and I'm really awesome,\" but the way that they did it instead was like, \"Hey I have some cool ideas, and also so do you, and we want to hear about those.\" So empowering us to realize the answers we need were already in the room, they were just facilitating the conversation. I think that's something that [Fellowship] Fellows does really well is making you realize you already had the tools you needed, and it's just giving you the opportunity to acknowledge them, and bring those out of you.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec17\" class=\"Section3\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e4.1.3 Program Infrastructure and Values\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eTo interviewees, the program\u0026rsquo;s \u003cspan type=\"ItalicUnderline\" class=\"ItalicUnderline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003eInfrastructure and Values\u003c/span\u003e (\u003cem\u003en\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;43) was as valuable as the \u003cspan type=\"ItalicUnderline\" class=\"ItalicUnderline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003eNetwork of Fellows\u003c/span\u003e, and \u003cspan type=\"ItalicUnderline\" class=\"ItalicUnderline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003eProfessional Development\u003c/span\u003e. Across the entire dataset, \u003cspan type=\"ItalicUnderline\" class=\"ItalicUnderline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003eInfrastructure and Values\u003c/span\u003e were referenced 112 times. Fellows frequently referenced the availability and responsiveness of program staff for support and feedback; the program staff\u0026rsquo;s attention to detail in planning events and handling travel logistics; the Fellowship stipend, structured time to think deeply about their curricular project; consistent communication from the program; and industry networking events. Notably, Fellows frequently (\u003cem\u003en\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;40) noted that they felt that TFP \u003cem\u003eValues and Elevates Teachers as Professionals\u003c/em\u003e. The following quote by Fellow F (2020) is characteristic of many:\u003cdiv class=\"BlockQuote\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eThroughout the whole program I feel like they have treated us as... How do I phrase this? They have treated us in such a professional way, where I feel so respected and valued, when our political context doesn't necessarily treat teachers the same way. And so to me, it was just very motivating to have someone recognize the professional skillset that I do have and bring, help me nurture it and grow that skillset.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec18\" class=\"Section3\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e4.1.4 Industry Connections\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhile the above three categories were the most prominent in Fellows\u0026rsquo; explanations of the program components that were the best, about half (\u003cem\u003en\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;25) of the interviewees also spoke about their summer immersion experiences with their industry partners. For many of these Fellows, the immersion experience was particularly important for building their knowledge of domains outside of the world of education, helping them understand how to prepare their students for the future workforce, building their professional network, and building their empathy for their students. As noted by Fellow F (2020),\u003cdiv class=\"BlockQuote\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe opportunity to be in a STEM organization for three weeks, and seeing the world outside the school building. That to me was really powerful in that I got to speak with experts, and I also got to hear more about their pipeline struggles in terms of filling STEM industry jobs. And then also too, them having to explain their work to me, who has very little background knowledge of some of these issues, was a great reminder for me of breaking down complex ideas into more digestible parts for my young students.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec19\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e4.2 Impact of The [Fellowship Program] on Teachers\u0026rsquo; Professional Growth\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eConsidering the three major domains of teachers\u0026rsquo; professional growth - Personal, Practice, and Consequence - Fellows most frequently spoke of growth in their Personal Domain (\u003cem\u003en\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;371), followed by the Domain of Consequence (\u003cem\u003en\u0026thinsp;=\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;241), and their Domain of Practice (\u003cem\u003en\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;211). Though Clarke and Hollingsworth (2002) are clear that teachers\u0026rsquo; growth is non-linear, reporting on these domains from Personal, to Practice, to Consequence provides a logical progression to organize the presentation of these findings.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec20\" class=\"Section3\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e4.2.1 Personal Domain\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eTeachers spoke of their Personal domain more frequently than any other domain, with extensive discussions of changes in their \u003cspan type=\"ItalicUnderline\" class=\"ItalicUnderline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003eKnowledge\u003c/span\u003e (\u003cem\u003en\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;160), \u003cspan type=\"ItalicUnderline\" class=\"ItalicUnderline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003eBeliefs\u003c/span\u003e (\u003cem\u003en\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;128), and \u003cspan type=\"ItalicUnderline\" class=\"ItalicUnderline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003eAttitudes\u003c/span\u003e (\u003cem\u003en\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;69). Within the category of \u003cspan type=\"ItalicUnderline\" class=\"ItalicUnderline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003eKnowledge\u003c/span\u003e - and reflecting the program\u0026rsquo;s pairing of PD with SET - teachers spoke in nearly equal proportions of \u003cem\u003eNew Instructional Practices\u003c/em\u003e (\u003cem\u003en\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;64) and \u003cem\u003eNew Content and Workforce Skills\u003c/em\u003e (\u003cem\u003en\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;58). Speaking from the depths of a pandemic-era Fellowship, Fellow I (2021) noted that,\u003cdiv class=\"BlockQuote\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLargely through that professional development that's continued through the year, I've developed a lot of practices that have worked really well virtually, as communication and collaboration between students, as far as some of the electronic tools that have been very helpful in making sure to reach all students really, and differentiation has been the biggest piece of that, right? To have some tools to reach all levels has been fantastic.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDiscussing their new understanding of the variety of workforce pathways available to their students, Fellow B (2020) explained that they had gained,\u003cdiv class=\"BlockQuote\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eA new appreciation for students who don't have the desire to go on to college, just knowing that they can definitely make a difference, that there are jobs out there for students who don't want to pursue a four year degree or some sort of education outside of high school. Because there are definitely, there's a job for everyone. There's a need for all people.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOne of the most notable shifts that teachers spoke of across the dataset were changes in their \u003cspan type=\"ItalicUnderline\" class=\"ItalicUnderline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003eBeliefs\u003c/span\u003e (\u003cem\u003en\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;128), specifically new \u003cem\u003eFeelings of Self-Efficacy and Empowerment\u003c/em\u003e (\u003cem\u003en\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;111). The consequences of this enhanced self-efficacy will be discussed further on in the results, but the following quote by Fellow 1 (2024) was echoed across the transcripts,\u003cdiv class=\"BlockQuote\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eI just feel emboldened more \u0026hellip; I think you have to be kind of that beacon and lead by example. And sometimes you're a cheerleader and sometimes no, you're not a cheerleader. You're just doing your thing. And lead by example, be that servant leader despite all the negativity. And we're not perfect. Just because we now are [Fellowship] Fellow alum, that doesn't mean we don't have our bad days. But we have been put into this position now that we've got to kind of carry that mantle not only for the program, but just for the profession. But do it despite and in spite of what everybody might say.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFinally, speaking to shifts in their dispositions, numerous teachers described \u003cem\u003eDesires to Expand Influence\u003c/em\u003e (\u003cem\u003en\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;33) and feeling \u003cem\u003eRe-energized\u003c/em\u003e (\u003cem\u003en\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;28). Tying together the category of new \u003cspan type=\"ItalicUnderline\" class=\"ItalicUnderline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003eKnowledge\u003c/span\u003e with \u003cem\u003eDesires to Expand Influence\u003c/em\u003e and feeling \u003cem\u003eRe-energized\u003c/em\u003e, Fellow E (2019) provides an analogy,\u003cdiv class=\"BlockQuote\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhen you first become a chef, they have you taste different spices and different foods so that you can open up your palette to different tastes and different flavors and be able to recognize them. I kind of tie that into teaching. I've learned all these different techniques and tricks and learned all this information and it's opened up my teaching palette. It's almost made me more enthusiastic about teaching and sharing my knowledge and things that I've learned with not only my students, but also bringing it back to the staff to be able to kind of rejuvenate them and re-enthuse them in the classroom.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec21\" class=\"Section3\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e4.2.2 Domain of Practice\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eGrowth in teachers\u0026rsquo; Personal Domains frequently translated into professional experimentation, as evidenced by 211 references to their Domain of Practice\u0026mdash;most commonly related to shifts in \u003cem\u003ePedagogy\u003c/em\u003e (n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;136) and the formation of new \u003cem\u003eCommunity Connections\u003c/em\u003e (n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;54). Reflecting TFP\u0026rsquo;s dual-focus model, teachers spoke with equal frequency about shifting their \u003cspan type=\"ItalicUnderline\" class=\"ItalicUnderline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003ePedagogy\u003c/span\u003e towards \u003cem\u003eStudent Centered Teaching and Learner Agency\u003c/em\u003e (\u003cem\u003en\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;56) and \u003cem\u003eIntegrating Specific Learning From Immersion into Instruction\u003c/em\u003e (\u003cem\u003en\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;56). Fellow C (2020) provides a good example of the manifestation of both of these codes when describing their approach to instruction following their Fellowship. Fellow C spent their summer immersion in a university chemical engineering lab. When asked if the Fellowship had shifted their instructional practice, Fellow C explained at length that the pedagogical focus on project based learning (PBL) and student-centered instruction combined with the technical, physical lab work they observed during their immersion clarified for them that educational technologies have a role in the classroom, but that it may be more important to engage students in solving difficult problems through working in teams and using physical materials. Consequently, this teacher shifted away from reliance on educational technology and towards hands-on problem solving.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTeachers also engaged in professional experimentation through \u003cspan type=\"ItalicUnderline\" class=\"ItalicUnderline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003eForming New Community Connections\u003c/span\u003e. As will be discussed at length in the final section of the results report, spending time immersed in the context of another profession often emboldened teachers to independently reach out to other organizations in their communities to form new partnerships. Broadly speaking, many of the Fellows came to believe that community connections would benefit their classrooms and that it was their responsibility to form the relationships that would enrich their learning communities. As explained by Fellow 2 (2024),\u003cdiv class=\"BlockQuote\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eI feel like I'm more capable of reaching out to industries or local businesses through this because, I mean, from my internship, it was ask until we say no. So kind of taking that and be like, \"Yeah, that's actually absolutely, I'm going to keep asking and what's the worst they can do is they can tell me, no.\"\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec22\" class=\"Section3\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e4.2.3 Domain of Consequence\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eTeachers\u0026rsquo; reflections on the Domain of Consequence (\u003cem\u003en\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;241) reveal that the program produced tangible outcomes in their classrooms and professional roles, particularly in the areas of student opportunities, leadership, and student engagement. There were a total of 162 quotations associated with \u003cspan type=\"ItalicUnderline\" class=\"ItalicUnderline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003eTeacher Outcomes\u003c/span\u003e and 79 quotations associated with \u003cspan type=\"ItalicUnderline\" class=\"ItalicUnderline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003eStudent Outcomes\u003c/span\u003e. Teachers largely spoke of \u003cem\u003eCreating New Opportunities for their Students\u003c/em\u003e (\u003cem\u003en\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;95) (e.g., guest speakers, trips to immersion sites, access to internships) and \u003cem\u003eDemonstrating Leadership\u003c/em\u003e (\u003cem\u003en\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;43) through either starting new initiatives or taking on leadership roles within their schools. Often, the teachers interviewed \u003cem\u003eDemonstrated Leadership\u003c/em\u003e to \u003cem\u003eCreate New Opportunities for their Students\u003c/em\u003e. As an example, in a lengthy response Fellow M (2019) discussed how they felt emboldened to initiate a schoolwide project wherein fourth grade students mentored second grade students on a specific skill, then second grade students did the same for kindergarteners. Fellow M also started an after school program for girls who \u0026ldquo;love math.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhile reports of specific student outcomes are hard to verify, 72 quotations were associated with the idea of \u003cem\u003eEnhanced Student Engagement and Critical Thinking\u003c/em\u003e. The bulk of these quotations focused on the idea that shifts in teachers\u0026rsquo; pedagogy or inclusion of the teachers\u0026rsquo; immersion experience in class enhanced students\u0026rsquo; engagement within the classroom. Fellow I (2021) reported increased student engagement and long-term interest in Fellowship topics, particularly in their capstone course on carbon sequestration:\u003cdiv class=\"BlockQuote\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eI will say I've had a couple that have shown a much higher level of interest specifically, in the topic of the Fellowship [Carbon Sequestration] and the PBL that we designed through it, to the point where, to keep this as short as possible without describing the entire class, it's a class that I wrote the curriculum for where students complete their capstone project for their STEM academy graduation, and so they put together all these ideas of energy and sustainability as they've gone through high school, and then they address one of the grand challenges or grand engineering challenges put forth by the National Academy of Engineers as seniors. And I have had a significantly higher number choose carbon sequestration, the topic that we did the PBL on, than I have ever had in the past. In all of the years that I've done this combined, in the four to five years I've done this combined, I've had more this year choose that topic.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec23\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e4.3 Interactions Between IMPG Domains\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026mdash;-----------------------------------------------------\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eFigure 2\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIMPG domains with linking code co-occurrences.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026mdash;----------------------------------------------------\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhile the above-demonstrated growth in teachers\u0026rsquo; individual domains is encouraging, Clarke and Hollingsworth (2002) are exceedingly clear that the domains are not isolated from one another; rather, they emphasize that teacher professional growth occurs as the individual domains interact with one another to produce change. To that end, this final section of the results examines code co-occurrences that highlight interactions between teachers\u0026rsquo; individual domains.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec24\" class=\"Section3\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e4.3.1 Interactions Between the External and Personal Domains\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eFigure 2 reveals the complex interplay between the External Domain and teachers\u0026rsquo; internal domains, as well as between the internal domains themselves. Upon examination, there are clear associations between the individual elements of the External Domain (i.e., \u003cspan type=\"ItalicUnderline\" class=\"ItalicUnderline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003eIndustry Connections\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan type=\"ItalicUnderline\" class=\"ItalicUnderline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003eProfessional Development\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan type=\"ItalicUnderline\" class=\"ItalicUnderline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003eProgram Infrastructure and Values\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan type=\"ItalicUnderline\" class=\"ItalicUnderline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003eBrand Recognition\u003c/span\u003e) and two primary components of teachers\u0026rsquo; Personal Domain: their \u003cspan type=\"ItalicUnderline\" class=\"ItalicUnderline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003eKnowledge\u003c/span\u003e and their \u003cspan type=\"ItalicUnderline\" class=\"ItalicUnderline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003eBeliefs\u003c/span\u003e. There are clear differentiations between the associations of the individual elements of the External Domain and teachers\u0026rsquo; references to changes in their \u003cspan type=\"ItalicUnderline\" class=\"ItalicUnderline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003eKnowledge\u003c/span\u003e and \u003cspan type=\"ItalicUnderline\" class=\"ItalicUnderline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003eBeliefs\u003c/span\u003e. \u003cspan type=\"ItalicUnderline\" class=\"ItalicUnderline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003eIndustry Connections\u003c/span\u003e and \u003cspan type=\"ItalicUnderline\" class=\"ItalicUnderline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003eProfessional Development\u003c/span\u003e were most clearly associated with changes in teachers\u0026rsquo; \u003cspan type=\"ItalicUnderline\" class=\"ItalicUnderline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003eKnowledge\u003c/span\u003e with 72 quotations containing code co-occurrences between codes connected to changes in teachers\u0026rsquo; \u003cspan type=\"ItalicUnderline\" class=\"ItalicUnderline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003eKnowledge\u003c/span\u003e and codes connected to either \u003cspan type=\"ItalicUnderline\" class=\"ItalicUnderline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003eIndustry Connections\u003c/span\u003e or \u003cspan type=\"ItalicUnderline\" class=\"ItalicUnderline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003eProfessional Development\u003c/span\u003e. These co-occurring codes encompass 47% of all codes in the \u003cspan type=\"ItalicUnderline\" class=\"ItalicUnderline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003eKnowledge\u003c/span\u003e category and are nearly evenly distributed between \u003cspan type=\"ItalicUnderline\" class=\"ItalicUnderline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003eIndustry Connections\u003c/span\u003e and \u003cspan type=\"ItalicUnderline\" class=\"ItalicUnderline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003eProfessional Development\u003c/span\u003e. While teachers clearly connected \u003cspan type=\"ItalicUnderline\" class=\"ItalicUnderline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003eIndustry Connections\u003c/span\u003e and \u003cspan type=\"ItalicUnderline\" class=\"ItalicUnderline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003eProfessional Development\u003c/span\u003e to changes in their \u003cspan type=\"ItalicUnderline\" class=\"ItalicUnderline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003eKnowledge\u003c/span\u003e, the 52 co-occurrences between codes related to teachers\u0026rsquo; discussions of changes in their \u003cspan type=\"ItalicUnderline\" class=\"ItalicUnderline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003eBeliefs\u003c/span\u003e and codes under the umbrella of the External Domain were nearly evenly distributed across the four individual elements of the External Domain.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec25\" class=\"Section3\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e4.3.2 External Domain to Domain of Consequence\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe associations discussed by teachers revealed a pathway between the External Domain and teacher-identified improvements in students\u0026rsquo; \u003cem\u003eEngagement and Critical Thinking.\u003c/em\u003e A typical set of associations for this pathway involves a teacher first learning about new career pathways or workforce skills during their SET (External Domain) and gaining student-centered pedagogical skills from the provided \u003cspan type=\"ItalicUnderline\" class=\"ItalicUnderline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003eProfessional Development\u003c/span\u003e (External Domain). This new knowledge manifests in the transcripts as \u003cem\u003eNew Instructional Practices\u003c/em\u003e (Personal Domain) and \u003cem\u003eNew Knowledge of Workforce Skills and Pathways\u003c/em\u003e (Personal Domain). Teachers then frequently \u003cem\u003eIntegrated Specific Lessons from their Immersion\u003c/em\u003e (Domain of Practice) in \u003cem\u003eStudent-Centered Teaching\u003c/em\u003e (Domain of Practice). Finally, teachers reported that these \u003cem\u003eStudent Centered Lessons\u003c/em\u003e resulted in improved \u003cem\u003eStudent Engagement and Critical Thinking\u003c/em\u003e. As noted by a Fellow B (2019):\u003cdiv class=\"BlockQuote\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eI think my instructional practice has really done a 180. Honestly, it's gone from mostly scripted lesson plans that focused down on one or two goals that we just gotta do, to more of an inquiry-based type practice \u0026hellip; I think the kids are really responding. My lessons are more interdisciplinary. I've been able to incorporate science and engineering and just make connections in those fields, as well.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec26\" class=\"Section3\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e4.3.3 Enactments Manifest in the Domain of Consequence\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eFinally, one of the most salient, multi-domain pathways of interaction in this analysis involved co-occurrences of \u003cem\u003eFeelings of Increased Self-Efficacy\u003c/em\u003e (Personal Domain) with enactment through teachers taking a specific \u003cem\u003eAgentic Action\u003c/em\u003e (Reflection and Enactment) to \u003cem\u003eForm Community Connections\u003c/em\u003e (Domain of Practice) that \u003cem\u003eCreate Opportunities for Students\u003c/em\u003e (Domain of Consequence) (Fig.\u0026nbsp;2). Thirty-seven percent (\u003cem\u003en\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;41) of the \u003cem\u003eIncreased Feelings of Self-Efficacy\u003c/em\u003e codes were connected to the teacher taking a specific \u003cem\u003eAgentic Action\u003c/em\u003e. Thirty-five percent (\u003cem\u003en\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;33) of those agentic actions were taken to \u003cem\u003eForm Community Connections\u003c/em\u003e. Forty-four percent (\u003cem\u003en\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;24) of those community connections resulted in \u003cem\u003eOpportunities for Students\u003c/em\u003e. The following quote from a 2019 Fellow is characteristic of this pathway:\u003cdiv class=\"BlockQuote\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eI think a big thing for me is realizing that I can't do this alone. Then understanding that there are people that do want to help you. What it has done for me is made me more bold in just asking for the things that I need as a teacher. Those aren't always like consumables or things that come with money, it's going to businesses or even partnering with [University] this year and saying like hey, we need mentors from your program, and people actually saying yes. So it's made me realize there are people out there who do want to also affect education, and it takes teachers who are brave enough to hear no a couple of times and keep going.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"5.0 Discussion and Conclusions","content":"\u003cp\u003eThe findings of this study reveal that TFP participants most valued the professional networks that they built, the PD that they received, the quality of the program infrastructure that they experienced, and the SETs in which they participated. Further, the SET\u0026thinsp;+\u0026thinsp;PD model of TFP produced notable growth in teachers\u0026rsquo; Personal domain, and complex interactions between domains resulted in teachers\u0026rsquo; Fellowship experiences translating into new opportunities for their students. While these findings are notable, four additional topics warrant further discussion.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec28\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e5.1 The Value of Integrating SETs with Pedagogical PD\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eOur findings indicate that integrating SETs with sustained pedagogical/leadership PD is associated with notable growth across IMPG domains and much of this growth is the results of synergistic effects between the SET and the PD components of the program. For example, PD/Industry -\u0026gt;Knowledge quotations account for 47% of all Knowledge-related co-occurrences. While previous work on SETs by Barrett and Usselman (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR6\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2006\u003c/span\u003e), Bowen (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR12\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2014\u003c/span\u003e; \u003cspan citationid=\"CR15\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2015\u003c/span\u003e), and Bowen and Shume (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e; \u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e) reveal increases in teachers\u0026rsquo; knowledge and motivation, our work extends the literature in response to Hurley and Colleagues\u0026rsquo; (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR51\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e) call to investigate the effects of SETs on teachers\u0026rsquo; professional growth by tying growth in teachers\u0026rsquo; Personal domains to specific elements of the program\u0026rsquo;s External domain. Additionally, like teachers investigated by Barrett and Usselman (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR6\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2006\u003c/span\u003e) and Thomson and Turner (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR100\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2019\u003c/span\u003e), TFP Fellows demonstrated increased self-efficacy (\u003cem\u003en\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;111). This study extends our understanding of the importance of that increased self-efficacy by drawing a direct line from self-efficacy to agentic actions that resulted in new opportunities for students. Further, TFP\u0026rsquo;s inclusion of residential, pedagogical and leadership PD seems to have further enhanced the impact of the experience by providing teachers with space to build a collaborative and inspiring community of practice that enhanced Fellows\u0026rsquo; professional networks and extended the impacts of their Fellowship.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe mechanism behind the reported changes in the interviewed teachers can be analyzed through the lens of teacher PD frameworks. As noted above, isolated STEM immersions provide a specific body of knowledge or new insights and motivation (Kennedy, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR58\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2016\u003c/span\u003e). However, Kennedy (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR58\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2016\u003c/span\u003e) notes that PD in these categories tends to have the lowest impact on student learning, likely because it only builds teachers\u0026rsquo; knowledge without offering new pedagogical strategies or influencing beliefs, such as self-efficacy (Bandura, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1997\u003c/span\u003e), that could motivate the conversion of new knowledge into pedagogical action. Sims et al. (2023) report that PD programs that only provide insights and motivation often suffer from a \u0026ldquo;Knowing-Doing Gap (pg. 5)\u0026rdquo; whereby teachers have a new set of knowledge and motivation to use it but not the skills to operationalize their new knowledge and motivation in their classrooms. The growth across IMPG domains observed in TFP alumni reveal bridges across the gap between knowing and doing. A potential mechanism behind this translation of knowledge into practice is TFP\u0026rsquo;s inclusion of several causal PD mechanisms identified by Sims and Colleagues (2023) that support teachers in developing new techniques and embedding them in practice, including: practical social support (Network of Fellows), Modelling (PD provided by master-teacher TFP alumni), Feedback (Grouping of alumni into peer review teams), Action planning (Planning sessions at Spring Institute), and Self-monitoring (Required monthly reflection blog posts). The combination of these appears to help teachers translate their Personal Domain SET knowledge and motivation into Domain of Practice instruction that leads to Domain of Consequence opportunities for students.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec29\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e5.2 IMPG as a Lens for Understanding Teacher Professional Growth\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe IMPG (Fig.\u0026nbsp;1) provides a useful framework for interpreting how the [Fellowship Program]\u0026rsquo;s integration of SETs with sustained pedagogical and leadership PD fosters teacher growth. Across the dataset, teachers more frequently described knowledge gains than belief shifts (160 vs. 128 references in the Personal Domain), with attitudes referenced 69 times. Within knowledge, \u003cem\u003eNew Instructional Practices\u003c/em\u003e (\u003cem\u003en\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;64) and \u003cem\u003eWorkforce Skills/Pathways\u003c/em\u003e (\u003cem\u003en\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;58) were the most prevalent codes. These differences suggest that building teachers\u0026rsquo; content and pedagogical knowledge can be achieved more readily than altering their beliefs\u0026mdash;a finding consistent with prior literature on the relative difficulty of belief change (e.g., Guskey, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR46\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2002\u003c/span\u003e; Opfer \u0026amp; Pedder, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR87\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2011\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBelief change in our study most often occurred in the context of sustained, multi-component support. Specifically, we observed 52 co-occurrences linking Beliefs with External Domain elements\u0026mdash;distributed across Industry Connections, Professional Development, Program Infrastructure/Values, and Brand Recognition. For knowledge growth, 72 co-occurrences (47% of all Knowledge codes) involved either Professional Development or Industry Connections, underscoring the complementary nature of these components in producing Personal Domain change.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA notable pathway illuminated by the IMPG was the role of agentic action\u0026mdash;teacher-initiated steps such as creating new partnerships, launching programs, or seeking resources\u0026mdash;as a bridge from the Personal Domain to the Domain of Practice and the Domain of Consequence. In our coding, 37% (n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;41) of self-efficacy references were linked to agentic actions; 35% (n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;33) of those actions involved forming community connections, and 44% (n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;24) of those connections led to new opportunities for students. This sequence illustrates a full External \u0026rarr; Personal \u0026rarr; Practice \u0026rarr; Consequence progression, consistent with IMPG\u0026rsquo;s enactment pathway. As one Fellow explained: \u0026ldquo;It\u0026rsquo;s made me more bold in just asking for the things that I need\u0026hellip; partnering with [University]\u0026hellip; saying we need mentors\u0026hellip; and people actually saying yes\u0026rdquo; (2019 Fellow).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTaken together, these patterns suggest a replicable proposition: in SET\u0026thinsp;+\u0026thinsp;PD designs, External-Domain supports (industry immersion, sustained PD, program infrastructure) foster Personal-Domain changes (knowledge, self-efficacy), which trigger agentic actions in the Domain of Practice that culminate in student opportunities in the Domain of Consequence. This model is distinct from SET-only designs, which often lack the pedagogical and leadership scaffolding needed to sustain belief change and translate it into classroom and student-level impacts.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec30\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e5.3 Implications and Recommendations for Workforce-Aligned Teacher Professional Development\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eRecent federal and state policy actions (e.g., a U.S. executive order expanding apprenticeships; the CHIPS and Science Act; and North Carolina executive orders) underscore the need to build K\u0026ndash;12 workforce pipelines (Exec. Order 11, 2025; Exec. Order 14278, 2025; HR 4346; 2022). For decades numerous authors have explained that traditionally-trained teachers lack knowledge of STEM workforce skills and career pathways (Navy, et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR79\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e). Work by Hurley and Colleagues (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR51\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e) noted that there are very few SET programs in existence and that those in existence have not been linked to specific growth in teachers\u0026rsquo; professional practice. Further, the Organization for Economics Co-operation and Development (2020) and Lund et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR62\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e) call for a complete reconceptualization of K-12 education and teacher training to build teachers\u0026rsquo; understanding of the STEM careers of the future and to prepare them to implement innovative pedagogical strategies in their classrooms to ready their students for future-work.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn light of this context, TFP provides a unique framework that addresses the above-described needs through its SET\u0026thinsp;+\u0026thinsp;PD Fellowship model. The data presented through this study show that pairing an immersive SET with sustained PD produces professional growth that spans multiple domains of teachers\u0026rsquo; professional practice. Leading to growth in teachers\u0026rsquo; industry and pedagogical knowledge, increasing their self-efficacy, and providing them with network connections that they can leverage in service of their learning communities. Importantly, this research moves beyond previous SET studies to reveal the complex effects of the SET\u0026thinsp;+\u0026thinsp;PD model on teachers\u0026rsquo; professional growth and demonstrate a pathway through which SET\u0026thinsp;+\u0026thinsp;PD initiatives can create new opportunities for K-12 students.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBased on the findings of this study and TFP\u0026rsquo;s 25 year track record, we offer the following program design recommendations to other organizations seeking to adopt the SET\u0026thinsp;+\u0026thinsp;PD model:\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003col\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003ePairing the SET with pedagogical and leadership PD enhances the impact of each; preparing teachers to authentically translate their immersion experiences into lessons for their students. In line with the recommended program durations in PD best practice literature (e.g., Darling-Hammond et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR29\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2017\u003c/span\u003e; Kennedy, 2009), we recommend that both the SET and PD include at least 40 contact hours; ideally more.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003eResidential PD institutes with intentional community-building time result in teacher network development that expands the impact of the initiative. We recommend a minimum of one, retreat-style PD institute.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003eDedicated, full-time staff is required to provide high-quality experiences that result in teacher professional growth. Teacher recruitment, partnership development, funding acquisition, financial management, and PD development all require time, personnel, and intentionality that cannot be provided by individuals juggling a multitude of responsibilities.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003ePedagogical and leadership PD must be provided by in-service educators. This assertion undergirds all of TFP\u0026rsquo;s PD, is in line with PD best practices recommended by Darling-Hammond and Colleagues (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR29\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2017\u003c/span\u003e), provides credibility to the PD offerings, and ensures that the pedagogical PD provided remains at the forefront of teachers\u0026rsquo; needs.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003eSET mentor organizations will require structured guidance and resources to design and deliver high-quality extended immersions for teachers. Because most industries lack the pedagogical expertise or capacity to independently sustain multiple weeks of meaningful engagement, programs should provide planning frameworks, orientation, and ongoing facilitation to help partners craft experiences that are both authentic to the workplace and relevant to classroom practice.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe language that organizations use to communicate about their program matters. TFP\u0026rsquo;s commitment to elevating the profession of education through designating its Fellowships as a prestigious award and the use of verbiage like \u0026ldquo;investing in educators\u0026rdquo; contributes to the enhancement of teachers\u0026rsquo; self-efficacy and amplifies the impact of the experience.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/ol\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIf more programs that employ the SET\u0026thinsp;+\u0026thinsp;PD model are to be implemented, significant effort will be needed in both funding and policy. Regarding funding, entities interested in developing teacher leadership capacity, retaining teachers in the classroom, and connecting teachers to local industries should prioritize investments in models that include both robust SETs and prolonged PD experiences. Additionally, while this study provides strong evidence for the efficacy of this model, it is but a single investigation. Resources will be needed to support further research into other initiatives that attempt to implement the SET\u0026thinsp;+\u0026thinsp;PD model and into robust investigations of the impact of these programs on the STEM identities and career interests of the students of teachers who participate in these programs.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eExtensive research has shown that career exploration and intentions emerge in early adolescence (Turner \u0026amp; Lapan, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR103\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2005\u003c/span\u003e); sustained, employer-linked activities in middle school are associated with stronger career self-efficacy (Archer et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e), and nearly 83% of U.S. K\u0026ndash;12 students attend traditional public schools. Thus, building future workforces hinges on elevating the status of K-12 educators and exposing them to the careers of the future. Thus, any policy initiative focused on workforce development must specifically include provisions targeted at building K-12 teachers\u0026rsquo; understanding of emerging workforce skills and career pathways. Furthermore, we recommend SETs be prioritized for teachers in gateway STEM courses and curriculum roles, with a focus on schools serving rural and under-resourced communities. Ultimately, the nation\u0026rsquo;s future workforce currently sits in K-12 public schools. Their teachers have the desire and motivation to prepare them for the future of work but may not have the requisite knowledge and network to do so. TFP\u0026rsquo;s SET\u0026thinsp;+\u0026thinsp;PD model provides a compelling framework for elevating teachers and preparing them to create future opportunities for their students.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"Declarations","content":"\u003ch2\u003e6.1 Availability of Data and Materials\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe datasets used and/or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e6.2 Competing Interests\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe first author declares a potential conflict of interest as they serve as the director of the program described in this paper. This role did not influence the research design, data analysis, or interpretation of the results. The second through fourth authors declare that they have no competing interests.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e6.3 Funding\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis research was supported by the [Institute].\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e6.4 Authors\u0026rsquo; Contributions\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe first author conceptualized the project, led the data analysis, and wrote the first draft of the manuscript. The second author participated in data collection, played a significant role in the data analysis, and approved the final draft of the manuscript. The third author played a significant role in the data analysis, and approved the final draft of the manuscript. The fourth author provided literature review support.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e6.5 Acknowledgments\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNot Applicable.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eArcher, L., DeWitt, J., Godec, S., Henderson, M., Holmegaard, H., Liu, Q., ... \u0026amp; Watson, E. (2023). ASPIRES3 Main Report: Young People\u0026apos;s STEM Trajectories, Age 10-22. Retrieved from https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10181968/1/ASPIRES3%20Main%20Report.pdf \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy: The exercise of control. New York: W. H. Freeman and Company. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBarrett, D., \u0026amp; Usselman, M. (2006). Assessing the long term impacts of scientific work experience programs for teachers. 2006 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference and Exposition, Conference Proceedings. 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(2018). Building A Culturally Inclusive Classroom. In Lawless Frank, C., Christman, J.T., Baldwin, J.L., \u0026amp; Richards, S.B. (2018). Managing Classrooms and Student Behavior: A Response to Intervention Approach for Educators (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315193205 \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGuskey, T. R. (2002). Professional development and teacher change. Teachers and Teaching: Theory and Practice, 8(3), 381\u0026ndash;391. https://doi.org/10.1080/135406002100000512 \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHolvoet, E., \u0026amp; Wante, D. (2021). Teacher externships: Designing a boundary crossing professional development initiative in higher education. In Developing Connectivity between Education and Work (pp. 51-75). Routledge. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHurley, M., Butler, D., \u0026amp; McLoughlin, E. (2024). STEM Teacher Professional Learning Through Immersive STEM Learning Placements in Industry: a Systematic Literature Review. 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Cambridge University Press. https:// doi. org/ 10. 1017/ CBO97 80511 815355 \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLund, S., Madgavkar, A., Manyika, J., Smit, S., Ellingrud, K., Meaney, M., \u0026amp; Robinson, O. (2021). The future of work after COVID-19. McKinsey Global Institute. Retrieved from https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/future-of-work/the-future-of-work-after-covid-19 \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMani, N. (2022, March). Teacher externship program: An opportunity for educators to build a relationship with industries. In Proceedings of the 2022 Industry, Engineering \u0026amp; Management Systems Conference (Vol. 28, pp. 54-60). \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMani, N. (2024). Externship program: Industry educator partnership (IEP) model. Industry, Engineering \u0026amp; Conference Management Systems Conference. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMargot, K. C., \u0026amp; Kettler, T. (2019). Teachers\u0026rsquo; perception of STEM integration and education: A systematic literature review. International Journal of STEM Education, 6(1), 2. https:// doi. org/ 10. 1186/s40594- 018- 0151-2 \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMarqusee, S. (2023). Dear Colleague Letter: Research Experience for Teachers (RET): Funding Opportunity in the Biological Sciences. National Science Foundation. Retrieved from https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2023/nsf23146/nsf23146.jsp \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMercieca, B. (2017). What Is a Community of Practice?. In: McDonald, J., Cater-Steel, A. (eds) Communities of Practice. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-2879-3_1 \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNavy, S.L., Heisler, J.M., Papa, J., \u0026amp; Gjurkovitsch, A. (2021). Conceptualizing careers: Is there an element of STEM in every profession? School Science and Mathematics. https://doi.org/10.1111/ssm.12493 \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNguyen, D., Harris, A., \u0026amp; Ng, D. (2020). 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Review of Educational Research, DOI:10.3102/00346543231217480. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eShume, T., Bowen, B. D., Altimus, J., \u0026amp; Kallmeyer, A. (2022). Rural secondary STEM teachers\u0026rsquo; understanding of the engineering design process: Impacts of participation in a research experiences for teachers program. Theory \u0026amp; Practice in Rural Education. 12, (2). 89-103. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eStieben, M. E., Pressley, T. A., \u0026amp; Matyas, M. L. (2021). Research experiences and online professional development increase teachers\u0026rsquo; preparedness and use of effective STEM pedagogy. Advances in physiology education, 45(2), 191-206. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThomson, M. M., \u0026amp; Turner, J. E. (2019). The role of emotions in teachers\u0026rsquo; professional development: Attending a research experience for teachers (RET) program. Education Research International, 2019, 1\u0026ndash;12. https:// doi. org/ 10. 1155/ 2019/ 58567 93 \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTurner, S. L., \u0026amp; Lapan, R. T. (2005). Evaluation of an intervention to increase non-traditional career interests and career-related self-efficacy among middle-school adolescents. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 66(3), 516-531. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eUNESCO. (2022). Reimagining our futures together: A new social contract for education. Retrieved from: https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000379707 \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2023). STEM occupations: Past, present, and future. Retrieved from: https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables/stem-employment.htm \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWorld Economic Forum. (2023). The Future of Jobs Report 2023. Retrieved from: https://www.weforum.org/publications/the-future-of-jobs-report-2023/ \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eYin, R. K. (2014). Case study research: Design and method, (5th ed., ). Thousand Oaks: Sage.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"STEM Experiences for Teachers, Teacher Professional Development, Teacher Professional Growth, Industry Experiences for Teachers, STEM Education","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7722974/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7722974/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003ch2\u003eBackground\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003ePreparing students for evolving STEM careers requires teachers who understand workforce skills and pathways, yet most professional development (PD) and STEM Experiences for Teachers (SETs) are studied in isolation. This study examines [Fellowship Program] (TFP; Pseudonym), a year-long model that integrates a 120-hour summer industry or research immersion with 80 hours of pedagogical and leadership PD. We analyzed 56 interview and 3 focus-group transcripts from seventy-three K\u0026ndash;12 teachers who participated in TFP between 2018 and 2024. Using Atlas.ti, we employed inductive coding and then mapped emergent categories to Clarke and Hollingsworth\u0026rsquo;s Interconnected Model of Professional Growth (IMPG) to examine professional growth in teachers\u0026rsquo; Personal Domain, the Domain of Practice, and the Domain of Consequence.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eResults\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eOur findings indicate that teachers most frequently reported changes in the Personal Domain (n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;371), with more references to Knowledge (n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;160) than Beliefs (n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;128) or Attitudes (n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;69). Growth in the Domain of Practice (n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;211) centered on Pedagogy (n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;136) and forming new Community Connections (n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;54). Reports in the Domain of Consequence (n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;241) highlighted teacher outcomes (n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;162) and new student opportunities (n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;95). Co-occurrence analyses linked knowledge gains to Professional Development and Industry Connections (72 co-occurrences) and belief change to Program Infrastructure/Values and Brand Recognition (52 co-occurrences). A salient pathway traced Increased Self-Efficacy \u0026rarr; Agentic Action \u0026rarr; new Community Connections \u0026rarr; Opportunities for Students.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eConclusions\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe results of this study highlight how integrating SETs with sustained pedagogical and leadership PD drives multi-domain teacher growth and bridges the \u0026ldquo;knowing\u0026ndash;doing gap\u0026rdquo; often seen in professional learning. Findings show that TFP\u0026rsquo;s SET\u0026thinsp;+\u0026thinsp;PD model enhances teachers\u0026rsquo; knowledge, self-efficacy, and networks, which in turn catalyze agentic actions that expand classroom opportunities for students. Using Clarke and Hollingsworth\u0026rsquo;s IMPG, the study demonstrates that external supports\u0026mdash;such as industry experiences, high-quality PD, and program infrastructure\u0026mdash;produce personal growth that translates into new pedagogical practices, leadership roles, and student engagement. This study positions the TFP model as a replicable framework for workforce-aligned teacher professional development and offers design and policy recommendations for scaling SET\u0026thinsp;+\u0026thinsp;PD initiatives to strengthen K\u0026ndash;12 STEM education and career readiness.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"How STEM Teacher Immersions and Pedagogical PD Drive Multi-Domain Growth: Qualitative Findings from [Fellowship Program]","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2025-10-22 18:37:55","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7722974/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"af6c23a8-0724-46cb-8985-1593dbe8aca0","owner":[],"postedDate":"October 22nd, 2025","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"posted","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-05-04T16:23:44+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2025-10-22 18:37:55","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-7722974","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-7722974","identity":"rs-7722974","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"8U1c8b4HqxoKbykW_rLl7","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}