A Preliminary Look at GenSea: Insights Into Immersive K12 Teacher Professional Development for Blue Economy Pathways

Methods: We developed a blue economy-oriented three-day residential professional development program for regional high school teachers using Desimone’s (2009) five key elements of effective teacher professional development: content focus, active learning, coherence, duration, and collective participation. This study assessed its impact on participating teachers' knowledge, attitudes, and instructional practices around STEM and the blue economy. Results: Teachers' enhanced awareness of the job market demands within the blue economy suggests the program effectively conveyed information about emerging and established workforce needs. The program also triggered a transformation in teachers' perceptions of career opportunities in Mississippi, prompting their integration of STEM careers discussions into daily lessons and the development of educational units dedicated to career connections. And teachers’ growth in self-efficacy exhibited over the course of the event aligns with research trends found across the literature (Zhou et al., 2023). The documented impacts on teachers' knowledge, attitudes, and instructional practices align with the research objectives and offer valuable insights for future PD program development. Conclusions: Through ongoing collaboration and adaptation, programs have the capacity to transform STEM education for high school students and teachers by explicitly connecting classroom learning and workforce applications, better-preparing students for evolving workforce demands.