Pre-service Teacher Research Experience in Biodiversity Studies

职前教师生物多样性研究经验

• 批准号: 2151086
• 负责人: Michael Grillo
• 金额: $ 56.47万
• 依托单位: Loyola University of Chicago
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2022-03-01 至 2027-02-28
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2151086&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Pre; service; Teacher; Research; Experience

The project aims to serve the national need of preparing high-quality secondary science and mathematics teachers. Modern teaching standards and best practices call for teachers not simply to reiterate facts, but rather to engage students in scientific processes. However, prospective teachers often have limited opportunities to immerse themselves in the types of authentic research experiences that best prepare them to meet these standards. This project addresses this limitation by providing a summer program at Loyola University of Chicago with authentic STEM research experiences for prospective science teachers who are pursuing a baccalaureate degree in biology, ecology, or environmental science. A research emphasis will be on biodiversity in an urban setting. Coupled with the research program will be a professional development summer program with a focus on introducing project participants to many ways in which research can be applied. At the same time, the program will help them determine how research and other inquiry-based experiences can be integrated into their future classrooms. The project has an underlying aim to mentor 8 new pre-service teachers each year of a 5-year project for a total of 40 unique participants who will have an authentic STEM research experience. In turn, these future teachers will be prepared to facilitate research activities in the K-12 setting. This project at Loyola University of Chicago (LUC) will focus on several goals. First, the investigators seek to increase the number and diversity of pre-service teachers in the Chicago area who are STEM majors with a genuine STEM research experience. A second goal is to augment the summer research experiences with professional development opportunities. These opportunities will be aimed at enhancing STEM identities, increasing pedagogical and content knowledge, gaining experience with communication of science concepts and skills, and discussing teaching practices with special attention given to implementing research in the K-12 environment. A component of the professional development will be a workshop on employing data nuggets to empower the pre-service teachers to translate their research experience into their future careers as teachers. Third is to add to the knowledge base for pre-service teacher preparation. To accomplish this, the project will collect and analyze data about the short and long-term implications of pre-service teacher research and other professional development experiences on pedagogical and content knowledge, science and science teacher identities, and instructional practices. A final goal is to disseminate outcomes and findings on the LUC model, especially to other programs interested in using authentic STEM research experiences, coupled with teacher professional development, to enhance and improve pre-service science teacher preparation. Qualitative project evaluation of the stated program goals will rely on formative assessment, including mentor reflections, focus groups, and interviews. Also, a summative study of the depth and rigor of the research and professional development experiences will be incorporated. Overall, evaluation is designed to contribute to understandings of how research experiences can be integrated into beginning science teachers’ early preparation. The project has the potential to serve as a model for improving pre-service teacher preparation for which intensive research experiences would represent an important program component. This Noyce Research Experiences for Pre-service Teachers 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 districts. It also supports research on the 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.

该项目旨在满足国家培养高质量中学科学和数学教师的需要。现代教学标准和最佳实践要求教师不仅要重复事实，还要让学生参与科学过程。然而，未来的教师往往有有限的机会沉浸在真正的研究经验，最好的准备，他们满足这些标准的类型。该项目通过为正在攻读生物学，生态学或环境科学学士学位的未来科学教师提供芝加哥洛约拉大学的暑期课程来解决这一限制。研究重点将是城市环境中的生物多样性。与研究计划相结合的是一个专业发展暑期项目，重点是向项目参与者介绍研究的多种应用方式。与此同时，该计划将帮助他们确定如何研究和其他基于调查的经验可以融入他们未来的课堂。该项目的基本目标是在为期5年的项目中每年指导8名新的职前教师，总共有40名独特的参与者，他们将拥有真实的STEM研究经验。反过来，这些未来的教师将准备在K-12设置促进研究活动。这个项目在芝加哥洛约拉大学（LUC）将集中在几个目标。首先，调查人员寻求增加芝加哥地区的职前教师的数量和多样性，他们是STEM专业的学生，具有真正的STEM研究经验。第二个目标是通过专业发展机会增加夏季研究经验。这些机会将旨在增强STEM身份，增加教学和内容知识，获得科学概念和技能交流的经验，并讨论教学实践，特别注意在K-12环境中实施研究。专业发展的一个组成部分将是一个关于使用数据金块的工作坊，以使职前教师能够将他们的研究经验转化为他们未来的教师职业。三是为教师职前准备补充知识基础。为了实现这一目标，该项目将收集和分析有关职前教师研究和其他专业发展经验对教学和内容知识，科学和科学教师身份以及教学实践的短期和长期影响的数据。最终目标是传播LUC模型的成果和发现，特别是对使用真实STEM研究经验感兴趣的其他计划，再加上教师专业发展，以加强和改善职前科学教师的准备。对既定计划目标的定性项目评估将依赖于形成性评估，包括导师反思、焦点小组和访谈。此外，将纳入对研究和专业发展经验的深度和严谨性的总结性研究。 总体而言，评价的目的是帮助理解如何研究经验可以融入开始科学教师的早期准备。该项目有可能作为一个模型，提高职前教师的准备，密集的研究经验将代表一个重要的计划组成部分。这个诺伊斯研究经验的职前教师项目是通过罗伯特诺伊斯教师奖学金计划（诺伊斯）的支持。诺伊斯计划支持有才华的STEM本科专业和专业人士成为有效的K-12 STEM教师和经验丰富的模范K-12教师，成为高需求地区的STEM硕士教师。该奖项反映了NSF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。