Project’s NSF Page

Investigators

Nathaniel Hunsu, Ph.D. - Assistant Professor of Engineering Education

Julie Luft – Principal Investigator, University of Georgia
Paula Lemons – Co-Principal Investigator, University of Georgia
Dorothy White – Co-Principal Investigator, University of Georgia

Grant Details

Funder: Division of Engineering Education and Centers, National Science Foundation
Amount: $678,704.00
Award number: 1950153
Start and End date: July 2020 – June 2025

Abstract

This project aims to prepare and ensure the success of highly qualified secondary mathematics and science teachers in high-need school districts, which are important national and regional needs. To increase the number of secondary mathematics and science teachers in Northeast Georgia, the project staff intends to expand marketing on campus about science and mathematics teaching careers. It will also create new recruitment approaches to increase STEM majors? interest in teaching as a career. To better prepare potential secondary mathematics and science teachers, faculty involved in the teacher education program intend to embed more STEM connections in their courses and to increase instruction on equity and diversity. The Noyce Scholars, i.e. the students in the project, will receive financial and other supports as they pursue degrees and teaching certification. To support their success as new teachers, the Noyce Scholars will participate in a hybrid induction program that combines online and in-person activities. The induction program will provide the new teachers with ongoing support to help them continue to strengthen their teaching knowledge and skills during their early teaching years. The expected outcomes of this project are the development of new recruitment pathways, field experiences in diverse settings, a hybrid induction program, expanded collaboration among STEM and education faculty members at the University of Georgia, and publications, presentations, and videos about the results of this project.

This project at the University of Georgia includes partnerships with several colleges within the University, as well as with Northeast Georgia high-need school districts, including the Clarke County School District in Athens, Georgia as a project partner. The overarching goal of this project is to produce 33 secondary science and mathematics teachers over five years who will work in high-need schools in Northeast Georgia. These future teachers will enter the project with degrees in biology, chemistry, physics, or mathematics, or will earn degrees in these subjects during their tenure in the project. The Noyce Scholars that are STEM post-baccalaureates will seek a Master of Arts in Teaching and teacher certification. The Noyce Scholars who are working to complete their STEM undergraduate degrees will simultaneously pursue a graduate degree that will result in teacher certification or a Master of Arts in Teaching. Several school districts in Northeast Georgia will serve as preparation sites for the Noyce Scholars. This project focuses on three key points in teacher education (recruitment, preparation, and induction) and is guided by the cross-cutting themes of STEM Collaboration and Diversity and Equity. The Project Directors are faculty from the College of Education, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, and the College of Engineering. The Project Advisory team will consist of University faculty and local school personnel. The research associated with this project will focus on understanding the efficacy of the different recruitment processes, and how the mathematics and science standards are represented in the teacher education program and in the classrooms of newly hired Noyce Scholars. These findings, along with information about the project, will be shared through different venues, including University?s social media and at state and national meetings. This Track 1: Scholarships and Stipends 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.