Leveraging Learning Assistantships, Mentoring, and Scholarships to Develop Self-Determined Mathematics Teachers for West Texas

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With support from the NSF Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program, this Track 1 Scholarships and Stipends project aims to serve the national interest in high-quality STEM teaching. This proposal specifically responds to a national and local shortage in qualified and certified mathematics teachers. Over the five-year duration of the award, the project aims to produce 27 new, certified mathematics teachers who will teach in high-need school districts in West Texas. The work will be done by a partnership that includes Texas Tech University, two community colleges (South Plains College and Midland College), and the Lubbock Independent School District. The project will recruit first- and second-year undergraduates and provide them with an early teaching experience through work as Learning Assistants in college-level math classes. By providing the learning assistant with financial support, near-peer mentoring, and direct classroom experience, This recruitment strategy is expected to encourage students to pursue a career in secondary mathematics teaching. The goals of this project are to: 1) Attract high quality, diverse, STEM undergraduate students to complete a Bachelor of Science in Multi-Disciplinary Studies degree with secondary mathematics certification; 2) Create a pathway for community college students to earn a STEM degree and teacher certification in mathematics and a career in middle school or high school teaching; 3) Prepare self-determined mathematics teachers who have a high degree of both content and pedagogical knowledge, 4) Retain 27 recipients as mathematics teachers; and 5) Augment research and tracking activities of recipients. In Stage I of this project, undergraduate students will be recruited from the two community colleges and Texas Tech University to serve as learning assistants who will support a STEM classroom under the direct supervision of a teacher or faculty member. In Stage II, those students who determine to pursue a teaching career will be invited to apply for a Noyce scholarship and complete the multidisciplinary studies degree. A self-determination rubric, which was developed through prior awards, and specific application criteria (e.g., GPA) will be used to inform Scholar selection. As part of Stage II, this project will use successful activities from prior Noyce awards, including a mentorship model, the self-determination framework, and a scholarship seminar. The project evaluation plan includes the use of the self-determination rubric, student demographics, student surveys, document analysis, performance tracking and persistency tracking. The research methodology will be an outcomes comparison between participants and non-participants. Each of the research questions will be examined through a participant profile analysis, descriptive qualitative comparisons, and a Multiple Level Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) on performance outcomes. This project may benefit the nation by developing a better understanding of how to recruit and retain highly-qualified mathematics teachers and attract them to teach in high-need school districts. More immediately, this project should help to fill the vacant positions in mathematics teaching in local schools. The Noyce program supports talented STEM undergraduate majors and professionals to become effective K-12 STEM teachers and experienced, exemplary K-12 STEM 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.