Enhancing Teacher Readiness and Retention in STEM Education Through PCK Development

Abstract

STEM education is a constantly expanding area that proposes a holistic approach to teaching science and technology in order for students to gain crucial 21st-century skills. This approach's inception highlighted the educator's readiness to adopt new or alter current teaching techniques. The multiple issues and obstacles that starting teachers confront in their early careers, as well as new teaching requirements, have exacerbated the already high rates of attrition and turnover, making the function of STEM pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) more important than ever. As a result, the goal of this chapter is to provide a review of the literature on the potential of STEM-PCK to improve teacher preparation and retention. Taking into account new educational data after the outbreak of the pandemic, the chapter suggests and demonstrates projects based on transnational collaborations that would facilitate the exchange of best practices in higher education to support teachers.