Preparing Committed and Culturally Competent STEM Teachers in South Central Texas

在NSF Robert Noyce教师奖学金计划的支持下，德克萨斯州路德大学的这一轨道1：奖学金津贴项目旨在满足国家为高需求学区准备高质量STEM K-12教师的需求。该项目有可能促进科学和教育教师之间的合作，以解决德克萨斯州STEM领域教师严重短缺的问题。通过与区域高需求学区的合作，该项目将招募生物，化学，数学和物理专业的高中教师。该项目将为至少20名新教师提供奖学金、指导和专门培训，帮助他们过渡到课堂并取得成功。本科获奖者将获得长达两年的奖学金支持，以完成所选学科的理学学士学位，同时完成要求，使他们在毕业时成功获得教学认证。 该项目侧重于教学热情，文化意识以及现代科学和数学实践的交叉点。因此，该项目将实施最佳实践技术，以培训教师识别文化障碍，认识和解决相关问题，并促进STEM领域的广泛参与。强调使用基于研究的教学方法进行文化响应式教学将是该计划的标志。诺伊斯学者将参加课外活动，旨在拓宽文化视野，培养对教学的热情和承诺。该项目的一个关键组成部分是通过与德克萨斯州路德大学的STEM和教育学院持续的虚拟和面对面的联系来支持和参与项目毕业生。在职教师将参加大学的专业发展研讨会，并在四个合作的高需求区域学区之一得到经验丰富的导师的支持。这项工作的目的是增加了解如何小型文理学院设置，结合密切的师生辅导，激情和职业的培养，并在干内容领域严格的准备，可以影响招聘，动机和坚持干教师。诺伊斯计划支持有才华的STEM本科专业和专业人士成为高需求学区的有效K-12 STEM教师，以及经验丰富和模范的K-12 STEM教师成为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。

With support from the NSF Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program, this Track 1: Scholarships & Stipends project at Texas Lutheran University aims to serve the national need of preparing high-quality STEM K-12 teachers for high-need school districts. The project has the potential to advance collaboration between science and education faculty in addressing the critical shortage of teachers in STEM fields in Texas. Through partnerships with regional high-need school districts, the project will recruit biology, chemistry, mathematics, and physics majors for high school teaching careers. The project will support at least twenty new teachers with scholarships, mentoring, and specialized training for their transition to and success in the classroom. Undergraduate recipients will receive up to two years of scholarship support to complete the Bachelor of Science degree in their selected discipline, while also completing requirements that prepare them to successfully obtain teaching certification upon graduation. The project focuses on the intersection of passion for teaching, cultural awareness, and modern science and mathematics practices. As such, the project will implement best-practice techniques for training teachers to identify cultural barriers, recognize and address related issues, and promote inclusion for broad participation in STEM fields. The emphasis on culturally responsive teaching using research-based pedagogies will be the hallmark of the program. Noyce Scholars will participate in extracurricular enrichment activities designed to broaden cultural perspectives and foster passion for and commitment to teaching as a career. A key component of the project is the support and engagement of program graduates through continued virtual and in-person connections with STEM and Education faculty at Texas Lutheran University. In-service teachers will participate in professional development workshops at the University and be supported by experienced mentors at one of the four partnering high-need regional school districts. This work aims to increase understanding of how the small liberal arts college setting, combined with close faculty-student mentoring, nurturing of passion and vocation, and rigorous preparation in STEM content areas, can affect the recruitment, motivation, and persistence of STEM teachers. The Noyce program supports talented STEM undergraduate majors and professionals to become effective K-12 STEM teachers in high-need school districts and experienced and exemplary K-12 STEM teachers to become STEM master teachers. It also supports research on the persistence, retention, and effectiveness of K-12 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.