Professional development for primary science teachers: a systematic literature review of international and Chinese research

Abstract

This study systematically reviews professional development for primary science teachers, emphasizing digital competencies and science, technology, engineering and mathematics or STEM-oriented instruction. There were 30 peer-reviewed studies published between 2020 and 2024 analyzed from Scopus and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) databases, integrating international and Chinese perspectives. Quality assessment considered research design, instrument validity, data transparency, and alignment between findings and conclusions. The review identifies four professional development orientations: system-driven, innovation-driven, sustainability-oriented, and capacity-building. Chinese programs are largely centralized and policy-aligned, whereas international programs emphasize teacher autonomy, collaborative innovation, and long-term sustainability. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated online and blended professional development adoption, revealing both opportunities for digital competency development and inequities in access. Findings contribute a cross-cultural synthesis of professional development structures, strategies, and outcomes for primary science teachers. Implications include designing scalable, equitable, and context-sensitive professional development programs, particularly in resource-limited settings such as rural China and developing countries. Future research should focus on longitudinal evaluation, cross-cultural comparisons, and rigorous assessment of digital competency integration to enhance teacher professional learning and inform policy and practice globally.