Research Immersions and Professional Development for Future Mathematics and Science Teachers

Longwood University, Farmville VA

Investigators

Abstract

The project aims to serve the national need for highly effective secondary mathematics and science teachers by supporting the academic preparation and professional development of prospective teachers. The project will engage high-performing prospective teachers in significant disciplinary research through a residential summer program. Complementing the faculty-mentored research, prospective teachers will participate in professional development activities with expert educators to learn best practices for engaging secondary school students in authentic research experiences. These prospective teachers will engage with faculty members from across the STEM disciplines. Each prospective teacher will develop a project within a diverse portfolio of opportunities including molecular electronics, convex and discrete geometry, carbon cycling in watersheds, and phenological changes in invasive plant species. The project has an underlying objective of graduating, over a period of two years, ten prospective secondary STEM teachers who have had an intensive research experience and are prepared to facilitate research activities in the K-12 setting. This project at Longwood University will focus on six primary project goals, namely to: (1) recruit ten high-performing STEM majors - from biology, chemistry, mathematics, and physics - who are actively working toward a STEM baccalaureate degree and teaching licensure; (2) pair them with faculty mentors for a summer research experience; (3) engage them in professional development with a multidisciplinary cohort of researchers from across the STEM disciplines; (4) deepen their professional preparation through discussions and workshops focused on integrating research in the K-12 context; (5) evaluate the impact of project activities on the pre-service teachers; and (6) disseminate findings and outcomes, especially to other individuals and institutions interested in using authentic discipline research experiences as a tool to help enhance and improve pre-service STEM teacher preparation. Project evaluation will focus on studying the impact on the participants of the research experiences and of engagement in the professional development program. In accordance with this, it will include employing previously vetted evaluation instruments to assess the prospective teachers’ learning outcomes in communication, autonomy, intellectual growth and development, and pedagogical and disciplinary knowledge. In addition to the knowledge generated through the mentored research projects, findings will include insights to inform future efforts to engage prospective teachers in rigorous disciplinary research and a community of practice focused on pedagogical best practices. Project results will be disseminated at the local, regional, and National levels with attention being given to promoting a model for pre-service teacher experiences and preparation. This Noyce Research Experiences for Pre-service Teachers 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 teachers to become STEM master teachers in high-need districts. It also supports research on the 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.