Preparing STEM Majors to become Highly Qualified STEM Teachers

萨斯奎哈纳大学诺伊斯项目解决了城市和农村社区对高素质STEM教师的需求。它将为25名物理、化学和数学专业的学生提供准备和支持，使他们成为宾夕法尼亚州高需求学区教学职位的高素质中等教育候选人。项目目标是：招募、留住诺伊斯学者并使其毕业；确保他们从创新的STEM教学最佳实践中受益；并确保他们培养文化能力，并为在农村或城市高需求教室成功教学做好准备。该项目强调教学实践，使学习者参与以探究为基础的学习活动，并提供相关和重要的实地经验。该项目的一个重要组成部分是强调促进与语言、文化和经济多样性相关的文化能力。考生通过实地实习、文化沉浸和英语作为第二语言（ESL）项目专家的附加认证来培养这些能力。在毕业和就业在宾夕法尼亚的学校，诺伊斯学者将提供持续的指导，通过实地考察和校友务静会。萨斯quehanna大学Noyce项目将通过以下方式为物理、化学和数学专业的学生做好准备：一个实习项目，为这些职前教师候选人提供包括系统反思、指导和建设性反馈在内的早期教学经验；在高需求的农村或城市社区提供跨文化沉浸的实地经验，并通过系统的批判性反思提供支持；为候选人在经济、文化和语言多样化的课堂中工作做好准备的实地经验；课程包括针对不同教室的最佳教学实践，以及可选的ESL认证。此外，STEM教育方法课程将模拟和准备考生利用以探究、实验、合作和跨学科学习为特征的教学活动。最后，在学生教学期间，诺伊斯学者将在他们的教学实践中完成行动研究顶点项目。将系统地收集诺伊斯学者项目的每个要素的数据，以及诺伊斯学者的整体经验，以评估个人和累积的后果。最终，该项目将使STEM教师对多样化和服务不足的学生的学习需求有深入的了解，并对其内容领域和有效的教学方法有深入的了解。与缺乏其中一项或多项能力的教师相比，拥有丰富的内容知识、采用引人入胜的教学实践、了解学生及其社区的教师能促进学生取得更好的学业成绩和持续的兴趣。当来自服务不足社区的学习者将他们的教师视为社区成员和/或投资于他们的社区时，他们更有可能认为自己有能力追求类似的学术和专业道路。该项目有可能通过提高学业成绩，STEM参与以及随后对高等教育和/或STEM相关职业的兴趣，对周围高需求社区产生积极影响。反过来，这些项目成果有可能扩大知识基础，帮助教师在这些高需求学区取得成功。萨斯奎哈纳大学致力于从历史上服务不足的人群（少数民族，低收入和第一代学生）中积极招募Noyce学者，以增加数学和科学领域相关榜样的存在。

The Susquehanna University Noyce project addresses the need for highly qualified STEM teachers in urban and rural communities. It will prepare and support 25 physics, chemistry, and mathemtics majors to become highly qualified secondary education candidates for teaching positions in high-need school districts in Pennsylvania. Project objectives are to: recruit, retain, and graduate the Noyce scholars; to ensure they benefit from innovative best practices in STEM pedagogy; and to ensure they develop cultural competencies and the preparation needed to successfully teach in rural or urban high-need classrooms. The project emphasizes instructional practices that engage learners in inquiry-based learning activities and provides relevant and significant field experiences. An important component of the project is the emphasis placed on promoting cultural competencies related to linguistic, cultural, and economic diversity. Candidates develop these competencies through field placements, cultural immersion, and add-on certification as English as a Second Language (ESL) Program Specialists. Upon graduation and employment in Pennsylvania schools, Noyce scholars will be provided on-going mentorship through site visits and alumni retreats. The Susquehanna University Noyce project will prepare the physics, chemistry, and mathematics majors through the following: An internship program that provides these pre-service teacher candidates with early teaching experiences incorporating systematic reflection, mentoring, and constructive feedback; field experiences that provide cross-cultural immersion in high-need rural or urban communities and are supported through systematic critical reflection; field experiences that prepare the candidates for working in economically, culturally, and linguistically diverse classrooms; courses that include best pedagogical practices for diverse classrooms, and optional ESL certification. In addition, the STEM educational methods courses will model and prepare candidates to utilize instructional activities characterized by inquiry, experimentation, collaboration, and interdisciplinary learning. Finally, during student teaching, Noyce scholars will complete action research capstone projects on their instructional practices. Data will be systematically collected on each element of the Noyce Scholars project, as well as on the holistic experience of Noyce scholars, to assess individual and cumulative consequences. Ultimately, the project will prepare STEM teachers with a sophisticated understanding of diverse and underserved students' learning needs and deep knowledge about their content area and effective pedagogical approaches. Teachers who possess strong content knowledge, employ engaging instructional practices, and understand students and their communities promote greater student academic achievement and sustained interest than those lacking one or more of these capacities. When learners from underserved communities view their teachers as community members and/or invested in their communities, they are more likely to see themselves as capable of pursuing similar academic and professional paths. This project has the potential to positively impact surrounding high-need communities by increasing academic achievement, STEM engagement, and subsequent interest in postsecondary education and/or STEM-related careers. In turn, these project outcomes hold potential to expand the knowledge-base regarding the preparation of teachers to succeed in such high-need school districts. Susquehanna University has a commitment to actively recruit Noyce scholars from historically underserved populations (minority, low-income, and first-generation students) in order to increase the presence of relatable role models in mathematics and science.