In supporting change in the teaching and learning of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) in the United States Virgin Islands (USVI), teachers in the territory have been participating in a professional development (PD) program at Virgin Islands Institute of STEM Education (VI-ISERP). In the last five years IV-ISERP has supported over 119 teachers in local public, private and parochial schools through PDs at organized annual summer teacher workshops and continuous year-long teacher trainings.

Using the job-embedded professional develop (JEPD) model (Darling-Hammond & McLaughlin, 1995; Hirsh, 2009), the purpose of this study was to examine and seek deep understanding of in-service teachers’ views about the impact of a professional development (PD) program on the integration of technology in their teaching practices. “Job—embedded” connotes a direct connection between teacher’s work in the classroom and the professional development the teacher receives (NARA, 2009, p. 58479). JEPD is fundamentally designed to support teachers’ day-to-day content specific instructional practices (Darling-Hammond & McLaughlin, 1995; Hirsh, 2009).

Forty-nine teachers voluntarily participated in this study from their experience in the PD program. Considering the purpose and exploratory nature of the study, participants were purposively selected. A total of 35 participants had been part of the professional development program for at least 3 years, 10 had participated in the PD for a period not exceeding two years and 4 were new to the project. Each year in the summer when all schools were closed, the project conducted PD programs for a period of two weeks. PDs consisted of pedagogical and subject matter related sessions in which technological resources aimed at helping teachers in their practice were introduced.

Data for this study were collected using an online qualitative survey questionnaire consisting of 10 open-ended questions. The survey also collected demographic data about the participants. This data collection method enabled participants to produce detailed responses to open-ended questions about benefits derived from attending PD sessions as well as challenges they encountered. To derive meaning and detailed understanding of participants’ views, we used thematic analysis – a qualitative analysis technique - to present themes or patterns that related to self-reported benefits, challenges and future professional needs in teaching with technology.

Results of the study show that majority of teachers benefited from PD resources like Desmos and Micro Bit that were part of the PD focus areas. Teachers also reported to have benefited from MIFI routers and internet data packages which were given to participants after the PD for use in their schools as important internet solutions for their technology integration. Teachers also reported that knowledge gained from summer PDs helped them to transition to online teaching platforms during the COVID-19 pandemic period when their students were unable to attend in-person lessons. However, some teachers reported challenges in implementing skills they acquired during summer workshops in online teaching environments. Overall, teachers expressed the need for continued PD support through VI-ISERP PD programs with more practical sessions on use of specific technological platforms. Results have implications for improvement of STEM education in the USVI.

Keywords: Teachers, STEM education, Professional development, Technology integration.