Evaluating a teacher development course in STEM with artificial intelligence model training: Problem-solving skills and digital creativity development

Many studies have highlighted the important role of STEM and Artificial Intelligence (AI) in K–12 education. However, not many studies have discussed the integration of STEM and AI in K–12 education. To fill this gap, this study investigates integrating STEM activities design with AI model training to promote simultaneous STEM and AI education. We collected data from a sample of 93 teachers before and after they attended a 6-hour teacher development course developed for the study. Among the93 teachers, 85 completed the pre- and post-tests, which included concepts tests and the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) survey in four content-related areas. The results of a paired t-test indicated significant improvement with a medium effect size after the teachers attended the course. All 11 items of the TPACK survey yielded scores of between 3.62 to 4.32 out of 5. Moreover, 82.80% of the teachers demonstrated their digital creativity after attending the course, while 65.59%of the teachers demonstrated their understanding of AI concepts by applying them their creative ideas. One implication of the study is that promoting STEM and AI education together is feasible and can help teachers to do two things in one go. Copyright © 2023 Asia Pacific Society for Computers in Education.