Developing Strong and Diverse STEM Teachers

This project aims to serve the national need of preparing science and mathematics teachers to address the nation’s STEM teacher shortage. Because the percentage of teachers of color in secondary schools is decreasing, the project team is focused on recruiting and preparing highly qualified teachers of color. Furthermore, urban and other high poverty schools are most likely to have STEM teachers without baccalaureate degrees in mathematics or physics, although teachers of other subjects such as chemistry or biology may also not have baccalaureate degrees in those areas.

Therefore, this project focuses primarily on recruitment of undergraduate students pursuing degrees in physics or mathematics, as well as post-baccalaureate physics or mathematics degree holders to meet this need, but will welcome other STEM majors as well. Funds are anticipated to support 10 undergraduate STEM majors and 20 graduate STEM degreed pre-service teacher candidates.

Through this project, these individuals, supported as Noyce Scholars, are prepared to establish culturally responsive learning environments for their students. As they obtain teacher certification, the Noyce Scholars develop skills in designing and teaching lessons focused on engaging all students in Problem-Based Learning (PBL) and Engineering Design Processes (EDP).

The project works with community cultural institutions and programs to increase the Scholars knowledge and connections with the local community. These connections enhance the Scholars ability to incorporate culturally relevant instruction focused on the needs and interests of the community.

This project at the University of Cincinnati includes partnerships with Breakthrough Cincinnati and the Winton Woods School District and is guided by three goals. First is to prepare 30 new STEM teachers over 5-years, including at least 15 teachers of color and 10 with degrees in physics or mathematics. Second is to prepare all the teachers to use PBL and culturally responsive teaching practices and third is to create an inclusive teacher preparation environment.

A qualitative research design is used to investigate the following research questions. What PBL and/or Engineering instructional strategies do the Scholars use in their instruction? What rationales do the Scholars give for their use or non-use of elements of PBL and design instruction?

How do Scholars connect their PBL and design units to issues of justice and equity? In addition to the research findings from investigation of these question, broader impact of the project is regarding the increased number of teachers of color with physics or mathematics degrees who are well-prepared to provide experiences in which all students succeed and who serve in high needs schools.

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 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.