Designing and Implementing the acaSTEMy Project – Trans-national Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Teacher Education Focusing on Transversal Competences and Sustainable Education

Abstract

This article addresses the internationally recognized need to strengthen the competences, professional capacity, and motivation of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) educators working in schools, higher education institutions, and science-promotion organizations. The study draws on the experience of institutions from eight European countries and examines the challenges affecting STEM educator professional learning and collaboration across diverse educational contexts within the acaSTEMy project (hereafter referred to acaSTEMy). The resulting framework provides a systematic basis for moving from the identification of challenges toward coordinated implementation across different institutional and national contexts. It also illustrates how evidence-informed strategic analysis can support the development of internationally collaborative approaches to STEM educator professional learning while accommodating contextual diversity. As such, this article seeks to contribute a conceptual and operational framework that can inform the design, implementation, and further research-based evaluation of sustainable STEM teacher education initiatives across Europe.