PROJECT STEM High-Achieving Kumu Akamai (SHAKA)

Hawaii Pacific University, Honolulu HI

Investigators

Abstract

The project aims to serve the national need of preparing culturally responsive secondary STEM teachers to teach in high-need school districts. The program also serves the national interest in improving STEM instructor preparation and reducing STEM inequities. The program will prepare students for workplaces that need educated STEM-literate workers. Project outcomes will include 1) educators who can develop STEM learning experiences essential for instilling a passion for STEM in students and 2) STEM-literate students with diverse, applicable skills. This project, at Hawai'i Pacific University (HPU), includes partnerships with Honolulu's High-Need School Districts (HNSDs) of Farrington-Kaiser-Kalani and Kaimuki-McKinley-Roosevelt complex areas. Project goals include: 1) training 12 HPU STEM (Bachelor of Science in Biology, Chemistry, Chemistry/Biochemistry, Computer Science, Engineering, Environmental Science, Marine Science, Mathematics, or Oceanography) graduates for secondary STEM teaching over five years; 2) training in STEM curriculum design to connect underserved students to STEM content and practice using Design Thinking and programmable STEM kits as models; 3) improving teachers' sensitivities regarding cultural differences and culturally responsive teaching; and 4) providing a comprehensive support system to increase retention of practicing teachers in high-need schools. The project seeks to answer the question of how we can address students' cultural and linguistic needs regarding STEM education. Teachers will examine the theoretical foundations of culturally responsive pedagogy and receive explicit instruction on its practical applications in STEM classrooms. Through conference presentations and publications, the project expects to provide evidence of the efficacy of preparing secondary education teachers for high-need classrooms through training in culturally responsive teaching and Design Thinking. The potential contribution of this project is to create a model pipeline that connects university STEM majors to STEM teaching careers geared to address the need for greater participation in STEM by students from underrepresented groups. The project's evaluation will examine how the proposed project contributes to the effectiveness and retention of K-12 STEM teachers in high-need school districts. This Noyce 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 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.