Modeling Secondary School STEM Teacher Retention via Ecological Theories

该项目旨在满足国家的需要，提高科学和数学教师在教学生涯中的坚持性，特别是在被指定为高需求学校的学校。这个项目的一个显著特点是它应用生态学理论来研究为什么康涅狄格州的科学或数学教师决定留在或离开他们的教学岗位。该项目还将使用创新的统计分析来确定从个别教室到整个学校系统影响教师决策的因素。这项研究将基于来自地方、州和联邦教育机构的数据，以及在特定环境下收集的定性信息。本研究对提高对STEM教师留任和流失的理解和解释具有一定的参考价值。此外，统计建模方法和相关分析可以移植到其他背景下的类似研究。康涅狄格大学的这一研究项目有三个目标。首先，该项目旨在产生量化分析，从而可能导致对中学进行经验性的分类。这一目标将产生一种更加微妙的学校分类机制，而不是简单地依靠低收入学生的百分比来将一所学校归类为高需求或不需要。其次，该项目旨在确定课堂、系和/或学校层面与科学和数学教师流失相关的因素。更详细和多层次的解释可以使教育领导人就留住STEM教师的战略做出更明智的选择。最终的研究目标是评估学校管理人员和STEM教师对教育公平的看法是否一致与留住和流失有关。除了这项研究产生的统计建模和分析过程外，该项目还将向学校领导和地区管理人员传达调查结果，以告知他们为加强STEM教师留任所做的努力。因此，这项研究项目有可能提供建议，以增加高质量STEM教学的机会。这个Track 4：Noyce研究项目是由Robert Noyce教师奖学金计划(Noyce)支持的。Noyce计划支持有才华的STEM本科专业和专业人员成为有效的K-12 STEM教师，并支持经验丰富、模范的K-12 STEM教师成为高需求学区的STEM硕士教师。它还支持对高需求学区K-12 STEM教师的持久性、保留率和有效性的研究。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势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 need to increase the persistence of science and mathematics teachers in teaching careers, particularly in schools designated as high need. A distinctive feature of this project is its application of ecological theory to examine why science or math teachers in the state of Connecticut decide to remain in or to leave their teaching position. The project will also use innovative statistical analyses to identify factors from the individual classroom to the entire school system that affect the teachers’ decisions. The research will be based on data from local, state, and federal educational agencies, together with qualitative information collected within specific settings. This research has the potential to improve understandings and explanations of STEM teacher retention and loss. In addition, the statistical modeling approaches and associated analyses could be transferable for similar investigations in other settings.This research project at University of Connecticut has three goals. First, the project is designed to produce quantitative analyses that may result in an empirically informed typology of secondary schools. This goal will result in a more nuanced mechanism for categorizing schools than simply relying on the percentage of low-income students to classify a school as high-need or not. Second, the project aims to identify factors at the classroom, department, and/or school level that are associated with science and math teacher attrition. More detailed and multi-level explanations could enable educational leaders to make more informed choices about strategies for retaining STEM teachers. The final research goal is to assess whether a congruence in views about educational equity between school administrators and STEM teachers is associated with retention and attrition. In addition to statistical modeling and analytic processes arising from this research, the project will communicate findings to school leaders and district administrators to inform their efforts to enhance STEM teacher retention. Consequently, this research project has the potential to provide recommendations that could enhance opportunities for high-quality STEM instruction. This Track 4: Noyce Research 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 STEM 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.