Improving Pathways for STEM Teacher Certification

Bucknell University, Lewisburg PA

Investigators

Abstract

This project aims to serve the national need for preparing high-quality science and mathematics teachers. Given the significant shortage of teachers with appropriate training or credentials, there is a strong demand nationwide for high quality STEM teachers. Declining enrollments in teacher education programs, both locally and nationwide, exacerbate this problem. In this Noyce Capacity Building project, a team of STEM and Education faculty members will collect data and develop a plan to increase the number of STEM majors who explore teaching as a career, who decide to pursue STEM teaching, and who complete the requirements for teacher licensure in science and mathematics. Anticipated outcomes of this project include streamlined curricular pathways, proactive recruiting and mentoring strategies, and development of an engaged teacher training community of students and faculty. This project at Bucknell University includes partnerships with regional schools in rural, central Pennsylvania, including the Warrior Run, Milton, and Mifflinburg School Districts. There are three project goals: 1) Creating and coordinating streamlined curricular pathways for both STEM and education majors, including development of summer courses, to allow students to begin pursuing licensure in biology, chemistry, mathematics, and physics, as late as the spring of their sophomore year; 2) Advertising the program to first- and second-year STEM students while providing integrated mentoring and academic advising; 3) Developing a supportive community for STEM teacher education, with specific focus on faculty collaboration and partnering with area school districts. The intellectual merit of the proposed work includes its analysis of the barriers, both structural and perceived, that might be keeping students from considering teaching as a profession. Broader impacts of the proposed work include programmatic revisions that have the potential to increase the pipeline of highly qualified STEM teachers and benefit local teachers and students in rural, high-need districts. Evaluation strategies and preliminary data will be collected as part of this capacity building effort, with outcomes presented both on campus and at regional and national conferences. This Capacity Building 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.