Enhancement of STEM Teacher Agency Through Authentic Experiences in Mathematics and Science

该项目旨在通过招募和培养高效的中学数学和科学教师，为高需求学校服务，从而为国家利益服务。该项目将招募18名未来的数学和科学教师，他们将同时获得教学硕士学位和教学执照。这些教学硕士研究员将在经济上得到支持，并通过他们在高需求中学的前四年教学获得专业发展。该项目特别关注教师能动性的发展，这是一种积极规划和做事的能力，可以促进他们作为教师的成长。该项目旨在通过关注科学和数学的真实实践来发展教师代理。该项目将采取的一种主要方法是让教师和学生参与真正的STEM实践，即持续参与以学校为基础的科学、数学和工程博览会。为了帮助他们进一步从事真实的实践，未来的教师将由大学科学家和数学家就个人研究项目进行指导。通过关注能动性和真实性，该项目希望未来的教师将自己视为科学家，这反过来将提高他们作为STEM教师的效率和承诺。它还希望这些教师能够指导他们的学生成为STEM学习者，支持他们的学生在STEM方面取得更大的成功。阿肯色大学（UA）的这个为期六年的项目包括与斯普林代尔阿肯色州公立学校、UA数学和科学教育中心以及三个非营利组织（斯普林代尔教育基金会、亚马逊和阿肯色州STEM联盟）的合作。这些合作伙伴关系将作为招聘和准备18名STEM后学士学位（分为两组，每组9人）的框架，以获得生物、化学、数学或物理学科的二级教师执照，并完成为期11个月的UA教学艺术硕士课程。该项目的一个关键方面是注重个人能动性的发展（在某一特定领域的授权和能力）及其对科学和数学等学科的态度和成就产生影响的潜力。能动性是个人成就和成功的一个重要因素，但迄今为止，在教师准备工作中，特别是在真实实践方面，还没有成为一个重要的目标。项目负责人将探讨与策略有效性、在实地环境中的实施以及对学生的影响有关的问题。该项目将在六年的奖励期内跟踪和支持18名教师，帮助他们在高需求学校开始教学生涯时，成为成功的教师和领导者，拥抱丰富的文化和多样性。项目领导团队将收集数据，为STEM教师培养模式的建立和传播提供信息，该模式将参与真实实践与培养高效STEM教师的机构发展相结合。本项目由Robert Noyce奖学金项目（Noyce）资助。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教师成为高需求学区的STEM大师教师。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 interest by recruiting and preparing highly effective secondary mathematics and science teachers for service in high need schools. The project will recruit 18 prospective mathematics and science teachers, who will concurrently earn a Master of Arts in Teaching and teaching licensure. These Master Teaching Fellows will supported financially and receive professional development through their first four years of teaching in high-need secondary schools. The project features a unique focus on the development of teacher agency, which is the ability to actively plan and do things that enhance their growth as teachers. The project intends to develop teacher agency by focusing on the authentic practice of science and mathematics. A primary approach the project will take to engage teachers and students in authentic STEM practice will be ongoing involvement in school-based science, mathematics, and engineering fairs. To help them further engage in authentic practice, the prospective teachers will be mentored by university scientists and mathematicians on individual research projects. Through the focus on agency and authenticity, the project expects the prospective teachers will see themselves as scientists, which in turn will increase their effectiveness and commitment as STEM teachers. It also expects that these teachers will be able to mentor their students to develop agency as STEM learners, supporting greater success of their students in STEM. This six-year project at the University of Arkansas (UA) includes partnerships with Springdale Arkansas Public Schools, UA Center for Mathematics and Science Education, and three non-profit organizations (Springdale Education Foundation, Amazeum, and Arkansas STEM Coalition). These partnerships will serve as a framework for recruiting and preparing 18 STEM post-baccalaureates (in two cohorts of nine) for secondary teacher licensure in the disciplines of biology, chemistry, mathematics, or physics and completion of the 11-month UA Master of Arts in Teaching program. A key aspect of the project is its focus on the development of personal agency (empowerment and ability in a specific domain) and its potential to impact attitudes and achievement in subjects such as science and mathematics. Agency is an important element of personal fulfillment and success but has thus far not featured strongly as a goal in teacher preparation, particularly with respect to authentic practices. Project leaders will explore questions related to efficacy of the strategies, implementation in field settings, and impacts on students. The project will follow and support the 18 teachers over the six-year award period and prepare them to be successful teachers and leaders who embrace the richness of culture and diversity as they launch a teaching career in a high-need school. The project leadership team will collect data to inform the building and dissemination of this model of STEM teacher preparation that combines engagement in authentic practice with the development of agency in the preparation of highly effective STEM teachers. This Track 2 Teaching Fellowships project is supported through the Robert Noyce 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.