Building Confidence through Inquiry, Research, Community Leadership, and Engagement

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This project aims to serve the national interest by advancing the understanding of evidence-based mathematical teaching practices to broaden the participation and community engagement of undergraduate students in education, referred to as preservice teachers (PSTs). Building Confidence through Inquiry, Research, Community Leadership, and Engagement (B-CIRCLE) is a 3-year Early-Stage Engaged Student Learning Level 1 project that aligns with the goals of the Improving Undergraduate STEM Education program. B-CIRCLE’s design and implementation are guided by the University of Hawai‘i-West O‘ahu’s (UHWO) institutional values as an Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institution, an Indigenous-serving institution, and a Predominantly Undergraduate Institution committed to providing research experiences for undergraduates. The United States faces a significant shortage of well-prepared mathematics teachers. To address the teacher shortage problem, the B-CIRCLE project focuses on the importance of developing more high-quality mathematics teachers. The B-CIRCLE project intends to have significant improvements in the quality of mathematics teaching and learning in Hawai‘i’s public schools. To investigate conditions under which improved student learning occurs, two research questions will address the effectiveness of the project activities. (Q1) How do innovative learning opportunities build preservice teachers’ mathematics self-efficacy? (Q2) How do action research projects and conference presentations build the efficacy of preservice teachers of mathematics? B-CIRCLE hopes to provide a model to better prepare mathematics PSTs for teaching. The intended outcomes of the project are to increase PST’s confidence in teaching mathematics, leadership abilities at STEM events, and self-efficacy by conducting undergraduate research.The B-CIRCLE project is structured as undergraduate research aspiring to provide an efficient method to develop mathematics leaders and improve student learning. The goal of B-CIRCLE is to broaden collaboration and enhance the preparation of 129 mathematics PSTs by building confidence and expanding their instructional practices through the UHWO Teacher Preparation Program. Specific activities include 1) the development of a fall STEM Camp, 2) participation in a STEM Community of Practice, 3) professional development sessions, 4) presenting a joint action research project, and 5) advancing the understanding of culturally relevant pedagogy in an interdisciplinary lesson taught during field placements. The benefit of developing innovative learning opportunities and creating awareness in STEM-related teaching could change how culturally relevant mathematics content is taught. B-CIRCLE intends to apply a convergent mixed-method approach to merge both quantitative and qualitative data to identify project outcomes and impact. The dissemination plan also includes the display of project results on the university’s website, distribution of results to state resource teachers, and presentation of program results at national STEM education conferences. The NSF IUSE: EDU Program supports research and development projects to improve the effectiveness of STEM education for all students. Through the Engaged Student Learning track, the project supports the creation, exploration, and implementation of promising practices and tools.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.