Building STEM Teachers' Capacity to Create Authentic and Original Classroom Experiences

Caldwell University Inc, Caldwell NJ

Investigators

Abstract

This project aims to serve the national need for high-quality STEM teachers in high-need school districts. To accomplish this goal, it intends to recruit STEM majors and provide them with financial and other supports as they earn their STEM degree as well as certification in secondary mathematics or science teaching. The project will leverage the University's growing population of Hispanic undergraduate students to increase the number of Hispanic STEM secondary teachers in the region. The project will build upon existing education and STEM degree programs and emphasize “Doing and Teaching STEM,” an approach that is designed to create authentic classroom experiences in math and science. This effort will include the Create to Educate initiative, which will partner the Noyce Scholars with faculty members to develop multimedia STEM instructional materials to use during the Scholars’ field placements and in-service teaching. This project at Caldwell University includes partnerships with Passaic City and Clifton Public Schools and with two community colleges, Union County College and Passaic County Community College. Project goals include recruiting and supporting 21 qualified Biology, Chemistry, or Mathematics majors across four cohorts. These Scholars will advance to receive baccalaureate degrees in these disciplines, as well as secondary teacher certification in science or mathematics. The program is designed to support its Noyce Scholars by providing field experiences in high-need districts, followed by in-service observations of recently graduated teachers, and by creating a social network for alumni and practicing teachers. The Create to Educate portion of the program will engage Noyce Scholars in collaborations with Caldwell University faculty members to develop a portfolio of multimedia STEM instructional materials for use during a Scholar's field placements and in-service teaching. More broadly, the project team will investigate how the Scholars use instructional time to emphasize and practice STEM in their classrooms as they progress from pre-service to in-service professional practice. Scholars and their faculty mentors will have opportunities to discuss challenges, strategies, and progress during advising sessions. The themes that emerge from these discussions will inform future efforts to recruit, support, and retain undergraduates pursuing a career in STEM secondary education. 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.