STEM Teacher Education And Development Program

Reinhardt College, Waleska GA

Investigators

Abstract

With support from the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program (Noyce), this Track 1: Scholarships and Stipends project aims to educate highly effective STEM teachers for high-need school districts in the state of Georgia. This project involves a collaboration between Reinhardt University, Cherokee County School District, Pickens County School District, and Chattahoochee Technical College. Through this collaboration, the project aims to attract and recruit fifteen biology or mathematics majors to become certified secondary STEM teachers in high-need schools. The undergraduates will receive two- to three-year scholarships to support their pursuit of baccalaureate degrees in Biology and in Secondary Biology Education or in Mathematics and Secondary Mathematics Education. The scholarship support will significantly reduce the financial burden associated with becoming a teacher and may attract exceptional students who might not have otherwise considered a teaching career. The Scholars will gain teaching experience by working side-by-side with certified teachers and professors as instructors in a STEM Summer Camp. It is expected that improvements to the teacher preparation curriculum that are developed for the Scholars will result in improvements to the overall quality of STEM teacher preparation at the University. During the five-year project, the project is designed to recruit fifteen qualified undergraduates who are majoring in Mathematics or Biology. These Noyce Scholars will receive: 1) pedagogical instruction in content teaching methods including differentiated instruction; 2) undergraduate research opportunities; 3) a summer camp instructional experience; 4) teaching assistant training and experience; 5) practical, clinical experiences thereby enhancing their skills as educators; and 6) induction support and ongoing online communities for graduates. The project will investigate the ways in which mentored research experiences contribute to teacher preparation with attention to potential influences on self-confidence and the retention of STEM teachers as compared to conventional Secondary Biology and Mathematics Education educational programs. The research opportunities and instructional experiences are designed to improve Scholars' ability to address diverse and changing classroom needs. The project's central goal is to produce graduates who can bring relevant and inquiry-based instruction to classrooms at high-needs schools. Additionally, the project has the potential to strengthen partnerships among local high-need school districts, the Chattahoochee Technical College, and Reinhardt University. The Noyce program supports talented STEM undergraduate majors and professionals to become effective K-12 mathematics and science teachers in high-need school districts and experienced, exemplary K-12 STEM teachers to become STEM master teachers. It also supports research on the persistence, retention, and effectiveness of K-12 teachers in high-need school districts. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.