Collaborative Research: A Study of the Impact of Pre-Service Teacher Research Experience on Effectiveness, Persistence, and Retention

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Authentic research opportunities for prospective K-12 science and mathematics teachers within their pre-service education program is a relatively recent STEM education element. This Track 4 Noyce Research study will investigate how this approach impacts teacher effectiveness, persistence, and retention. The project will compare a cohort of teachers who participated in STEM research as part of their teacher training (teacher-researchers) with a comparison group of teachers who have been similarly prepared but have limited research backgrounds. Approximately half of the teacher-researchers involved in this study were also Noyce Scholars, who have committed to teaching in high-need settings. The findings of this study may lead to improved STEM education and educator development by demonstrating the impacts of research experiences for pre-service teachers. Findings will also inform research partnerships involving academia, industry, and federal agencies. Finally, the ultimate measure of any teacher research experience is the impact on the students of the teacher-researcher. This study will examine the extent to which teacher-researchers effectively engage their students in science, engineering, and mathematical practices and prepare their students for STEM careers. The treatment group in this quasi-experimental, comparative study will involve 303 individuals (including 175 Noyce Scholars) who participated for one to three years in a pre-service teacher-researcher program in partnerships with national research laboratories from 2010-2014. This group will be compared with Noyce Scholars and other teacher candidates who applied to but did not participate in research. The project will also focus on a subset of 159 treatment-group participants (including 51 Noyce Scholars) from four higher education institutions. This subsample will be compared with other Noyce Scholars and teacher candidates prepared by the same institutions, but with limited research experience. To measure impacts on persistence and retention, the study will investigate career trajectories of the treatment and comparison groups. Informed by this work, the project will conduct additional data collection in four high-need local educational agencies with high numbers of treatment group participants to identify matched comparison teachers within their schools. Additional data collected from these selected districts will include teacher and principal/supervisor interviews along with K-12 student surveys and data from student achievement assessments aligned with state standards. Controlling for academic and demographic variables, teacher preparation, and local school and district characteristics, the study will inform how teacher effectiveness, retention, and persistence are impacted by enrichment of the Noyce Scholar experience through summer research. This study has strong potential to broadly and significantly contribute to both policy and practice associated with STEM teacher preparation, specifically with regards to providing STEM research opportunities for future STEM teachers.