Maker Education and Community Building as Tools to Recruit, Develop, and Retain STEM Teachers

Saint Edward'S University, Austin TX

Investigators

Abstract

This project aims to serve the national need of preparing high-quality STEM teachers. The major goal of the project is to recruit and prepare undergraduate STEM students for teaching careers in biology, chemistry, and mathematics. The project includes a paid internship with a community organization to spark student interest in teaching. The project will provide scholarships and additional supports to help the Scholars earn bachelors’ STEM degrees and learn how to be highly effective STEM teachers. For example, the Scholars will be able to earn a micro-credential in maker education. This experience will help the Scholars develop strategies to succeed as teachers in high-need schools. The project will provide ongoing support from community partners and mentor teachers to help the new teachers persist in the teaching profession. This project is led by Saint Edward's University, a Hispanic-serving institution, and includes partnerships with Del Valle Independent School District, UTeach Maker, Co.Lab Community Makers, and Breakthrough Central Texas. The project seeks to support and prepare 18 undergraduates minoring in teacher education and majoring in biology, chemistry, or mathematics, to achieve certification and become highly qualified middle and high school STEM teachers. The long-term goal is to develop a self-sustaining pool of STEM teacher candidates who gain skills in maker education to increase their effectiveness as teachers. A teacher circle approach to induction support seeks to create a learning community of makers, educators, and alumni of the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program. Research activities aim to understand the role of experience with maker education on teacher professional growth and to document the impact of community partners on STEM teacher recruitment and identity development. This Track 1: Scholarships and Stipends project is supported through the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program (Noyce). The Noyce program supports talented STEM undergraduate majors and professionals to become effective K-12 STEM teachers and experienced, exemplary K-12 STEM teachers to become STEM master teachers in high-need school districts. It also supports research on the persistence, retention, and effectiveness of K-12 STEM 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.