Educating Science and Mathematics Majors to Teach with Social Justice Models in High-Needs Schools

University Of West Florida, Pensacola FL

Investigators

Abstract

This project aims to serve the national need to recruit and retain highly qualified STEM teachers for grades 6-12 with a commitment to serve in high-need school districts. The project will recruit, produce, and place 19 highly qualified, certified, grades 6-12 STEM teachers in local high-need school districts. Recognizing that social justice is an often-overlooked component of STEM educator identity, Scholars will participate in a two-summer social justice citizen science project and will graduate as highly qualified science and math teachers. These new teachers will positively impact the two partnering high-need districts in the area by elevating educational opportunities in a culturally responsive and sustaining manner. This project at the University of West Florida (UWF) includes continued partnerships with Pensacola State College and two high-need school districts, Escambia County School District and Santa Rosa County District Schools. The project goals include: 1) increasing the number of highly qualified and certified STEM grades 6-12 teachers in Northwest Florida high-need Local Educational Agencies (LEAs), 2) supporting graduates of UWF-Teach, and scholarship recipients, in the workplace to increase success and retention in Northwest Florida high-need LEAs, and 3) engaging Noyce Scholars in authentic social justice-based science research and development of research projects into citizen science classroom lessons. The project team will research the following questions. 1) Do program components, including the two-summer social justice-based citizen science research program, and course components contribute to STEM majors becoming grades 6-12 classroom teachers in high need LEAs? 2) How does the two-summer social justice-based citizen science research program impact Scholars' professional teacher development (e.g., teacher cultural competency, teaching self-efficacy, effectiveness as teachers and leaders)? Working with their district, graduates will receive additional support to ensure their success as a novice teacher, increasing the likelihood that Scholars will remain in the teaching profession beyond five years with the potential to impact thousands of students using equitable and just teaching models. An external evaluator will review project research activities, evaluate broader impacts, collect and synthesize data related to success in meeting overall goals, and conduct frequent interviews and focus groups. Additionally, a research consultant will focus on research questions and benchmarks. Dissemination of project results will allow program benefits to be extended beyond program participants and further facilitate learning and collaboration. This Track 1: Scholarships and Stipends project is supported by 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 school districts. It also supports research on the effectiveness and retention 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.