Modeling Secondary School STEM Teacher Retention via Ecological Theories

该项目的目的是满足国家的需要，增加科学和数学教师在教学生涯中的持久性，特别是在被指定为高需求的学校。这个项目的一个显著特点是它应用生态学理论来研究为什么康涅狄格州的科学或数学教师决定留在或离开他们的教学岗位。该项目还将使用创新的统计分析来确定从个别教室到整个学校系统影响教师决策的因素。这项研究将基于来自地方、州和联邦教育机构的数据，以及在特定环境中收集的定性信息。这项研究有可能改善对STEM教师保留和流失的理解和解释。此外，统计建模方法和相关分析可以转移到其他情况下的类似调查。康涅狄格大学的这个研究项目有三个目标。首先，该项目旨在进行定量分析，从而得出中学的经验类型学。这一目标将产生一种更加细致入微的学校分类机制，而不是简单地依靠低收入家庭学生的百分比来将一所学校划分为高需求学校或低需求学校。其次，该项目旨在确定课堂、系和/或学校层面与科学和数学教师流失相关的因素。更详细和多层次的解释可以使教育领导者在留住STEM教师的策略方面做出更明智的选择。最后的研究目标是评估学校管理者和STEM教师之间关于教育公平的观点是否一致与保留和流失有关。除了本研究产生的统计建模和分析过程外，该项目还将向学校领导和地区管理者传达研究结果，以告知他们如何努力提高STEM教师的保留率。因此，本研究项目有可能提供建议，以增加高质量STEM教学的机会。本Track 4: Noyce研究项目由Robert Noyce教师奖学金计划（Noyce）支持。Noyce计划支持有才华的STEM本科专业和专业人士成为有效的K-12 STEM教师，并支持经验丰富的模范K-12 STEM教师成为高需求学区的STEM硕士教师。它还支持对高需求学区K-12 STEM教师的持久性、留任性和有效性的研究。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This project aims to serve the national need to increase the persistence of science and mathematics teachers in teaching careers, particularly in schools designated as high need. A distinctive feature of this project is its application of ecological theory to examine why science or math teachers in the state of Connecticut decide to remain in or to leave their teaching position. The project will also use innovative statistical analyses to identify factors from the individual classroom to the entire school system that affect the teachers’ decisions. The research will be based on data from local, state, and federal educational agencies, together with qualitative information collected within specific settings. This research has the potential to improve understandings and explanations of STEM teacher retention and loss. In addition, the statistical modeling approaches and associated analyses could be transferable for similar investigations in other settings.This research project at University of Connecticut has three goals. First, the project is designed to produce quantitative analyses that may result in an empirically informed typology of secondary schools. This goal will result in a more nuanced mechanism for categorizing schools than simply relying on the percentage of low-income students to classify a school as high-need or not. Second, the project aims to identify factors at the classroom, department, and/or school level that are associated with science and math teacher attrition. More detailed and multi-level explanations could enable educational leaders to make more informed choices about strategies for retaining STEM teachers. The final research goal is to assess whether a congruence in views about educational equity between school administrators and STEM teachers is associated with retention and attrition. In addition to statistical modeling and analytic processes arising from this research, the project will communicate findings to school leaders and district administrators to inform their efforts to enhance STEM teacher retention. Consequently, this research project has the potential to provide recommendations that could enhance opportunities for high-quality STEM instruction. This Track 4: Noyce Research 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 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.