Exhibits 9.13, 9.14, 9.15, and 9.16 present, for fourth grade mathematics and science and eighth grade mathematics and science, respectively, teachers’ reports about their participation in professional development during the last two years. Mathematics teachers in both grades were asked whether they had participated in professional development in the following areas: mathematics content, mathematics pedagogy/instruction, mathematics curriculum, integrating technology into mathematics instruction, improving students’ critical thinking or problem solving skills, mathematics assessment, and addressing individual students’ needs. Science teachers in both grades were asked about the same areas, though specific to science instead of mathematics, including asking about professional development related to students’ critical thinking and inquiry skills rather than problem solving skills. Teachers of fourth grade science were also asked about professional development related to integrating science with other subjects.

Although there was variation across countries, the most common areas of mathematics professional development for mathematics teachers of fourth grade students on average were mathematics content, mathematics pedagogy/instruction, and improving students’ critical thinking or problem solving skills. As shown in Exhibit 9.13, on average across countries, between 44 and 46 percent of fourth grade students’ teachers participated in professional development related to mathematics content (46%), mathematics pedagogy/instruction (45%), and improving students’ critical thinking or problem solving skills (44%). Integrating technology into mathematics instruction and mathematics assessment were the least common areas, with teachers of 35 percent and 37 percent of students, respectively, reporting that they participated in professional development in these areas. In science in the fourth grade, improving students’ critical thinking or inquiry skills in science, science content, and science curriculum were the three most common areas of professional development. However, participation in professional development related to science was on the whole less common than for mathematics in the fourth grade. As shown in Exhibit 9.14, just over one-third of students, on average, had science teachers who reported that they participated in professional development related to critical thinking or inquiry skills in science (36%), science content (35%), and science curriculum (34%). Integrating technology into the science curriculum and science assessment were two of the least common areas for professional development (32% and 28% of students, respectively), along with integrating science with other subjects (31% of students).

Teachers of eighth grade students reported somewhat higher levels of participation in professional development than teachers of fourth grade students. Eighth grade teachers of mathematics and science reported similar levels of participation. As shown in Exhibits 9.15 and 9.16, the three most common areas of professional development for both teachers of mathematics and science were pedagogy/instruction, content, and curriculum. More than 50 percent of students, on average, had teachers who reported that they participated in professional development related to pedagogy/instruction (60% in mathematics and 59% in science), content (57% in both), and curriculum (53% in mathematics and 52% in science). From 44 percent to 50 percent of eighth grade students were taught by teachers who had some professional development in the other four areas, with addressing individual students’ needs being the least common area (44% of students for both subjects).