03/09/2026
By Zakkiyya Witherspoon

The School of Education invites you to attend a doctoral dissertation defense by Melissa Russell “Breaking the Cycle: Improving STEM Teaching Self-Efficacy to Reduce Barriers to STEM in Early Education."

Candidate: Melissa Russell
Degree: Doctoral- Ed.D. Leadership in Schooling, STEM
Defense Date: March 20, 2026
Time: 1:30 p.m.
Location: Via Zoom
Thesis/Dissertation Title: Breaking the Cycle: Improving STEM Teaching Self-Efficacy to Reduce Barriers to STEM in Early Education

Dissertation Committee

  • Chair: Michelle Scribner, Ed.D., Clinical Professor, School of Education, University of Massachusetts Lowell
  • Committee Member: Amie Milkowski, Ed.D., Adjunct Professor, School of Education, University of Massachusetts Lowell

Abstract
As technological innovation increasingly shapes daily life and the workforce, early access to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) learning has become essential; yet STEM remains inconsistently integrated in early and elementary education. At Early STEM Academy (pseudonym), a PreK through second-grade school, a STEM-focused curriculum has required ongoing coaching and PD, and when that support is reduced, educators may unintentionally shift their focus to other domains, such as social-emotional learning and literacy. Guided by a Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycle, this study examined a problem of practice focused on reducing barriers that impact female educators’ ability to implement, extend, and assess STEM in early education.

Using a mixed-methods design grounded in improvement science, the study leveraged a book study PLC to facilitate a educator dialogue and reflection on the influence of gendered STEM stereotypes and societal norms on STEM teaching self-efficacy. Although the intervention did not meet the targeted 10% increase, quantitative data collected via the validated STEM Teaching Self-Efficacy Scale for Early Educators showed a statistically significant (p < 0.05) increase of 4.90% in STEM teaching self-efficacy among participants (n = 6). Qualitative analysis of interviews and reflective journals describing how perceptions of STEM stereotypes shaped educators’ beliefs, behaviors, and instructional practices. This research offers actionable recommendations by intentionally leveraging STEM teaching self-efficacy to reduce barriers and expand equitable STEM learning opportunities for educators and students.

Keywords: STEM Education, Early Education, PreK, Elementary, Self-Efficacy, Improvement Science, STEM Stereotypes