Examining the interplay between media-related professional development, media knowledge, and teacher self-efficacy in STEM and non-STEM domains

Introduction: Digitalization is transforming education and increasing the demand for teachers' competencies in integrating digital technologies into instruction. In this context, professional development plays a central role, yet it remains unclear how participation in digitalization-related professional development is associated with different dimensions of teachers' professional competence and whether these relationships differ between STEM and non-STEM teachers. Methods: This study examines how participation in digitalization-related professional development is related to teachers' motivational regulation, digital self-efficacy, digitalization-related knowledge (technological pedagogical knowledge and technological pedagogical content knowledge; TPK/TPACK), ICT-response beliefs, and technology acceptance and competence beliefs, and whether teaching a STEM subject moderates these relationships. A total of 1,031 teachers from North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, completed an online survey. Results and discussion: The results indicate that participation in professional development-particularly when focused on digitalization-is associated with higher levels of motivational regulation, digital self-efficacy, and digitalization-related knowledge (TPACK). Differences between STEM and non-STEM teachers were generally small, although teachers without STEM subjects reported slightly lower TPACK. Correlational analyses revealed positive relationships among digital self-efficacy, digitalization-related knowledge, and technology-related beliefs.