ABSTRACT: This paper is a quantitative research study of teachers' perceptions and experiences in relation to their training needs and expectations for the improvement of their digital skills, considering the special circumstances due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The research data were gathered in order to design, administer, and evaluate a 15-hour synchronous distance training program. The research tool used was questionnaires, and the research questions were: (1) To what extent do teachers consider that they need training for the development of their digital skills and for their professional empowerment? (2) To what extent did the structure and implementation of the specific program meet their expectations and needs? The findings of the research show that teachers consider their training necessary for the development of their digital skills and that the level of satisfaction of the participants in the program is high.

ABSTRACT: In this study, the literature on Afterschool STEM education was reviewed from the Proquest database. Within the scope of the research, 25 theses and dissertations that met the criteria were examined. The year, type, a method used, data collection tools, study group and number, and keywords of the theses were systematically analyzed. The systematic review method, one of the qualitative research methods, was used to examine the graduate theses on Afterschool STEM.  As a result of the findings obtained by examining the theses related to Afterschool STEM; it was found that the first thesis study was a doctoral dissertation in 2003, there was a great increase in the number of theses published in 2015, and no thesis was published between 2004-2013, and most of the published theses were in the doctoral thesis type. In addition, in the distribution of theses according to the fields selected in the Proquest database, it was determined that most theses were published in the field of Science Education, qualitative and mixed research methods were used equally and mostly as research methods, and survey, interviews, and observation were mostly used as data collection tools. In the analyzed theses, data were collected mostly from Middle school students. When the number of participants in the theses was examined, the participants between 31-100 were mostly preferred in the studies. According to the keywords used in the theses, the words "education", "out of school time", "afterschool", "STEM" and "STEM education" were preferred.