- Year 2024
- NSF Noyce Award # 1758317
- First Name Amanda
- Last Name Gunning
- Registration Faculty/Administrator/Other
- Discipline STEM Education (general)
- Role Principal Investigator (PI)
- Presenters
Amanda M. Gunning, Meghan E. Marrero, Kristen Napolitano, Mercy University; and Anjinette Piccirella, Casimir Pulaski School
Need
After recent state-wide adoption of new science and computer literacy standards, New York K-12 schools have an increased emphasis on implementing and/or expanding STEM learning experiences for all students. Unfortunately, high-need schools often lack the personnel and resources to do this effectively, which affects Black and Brown children disproportionally, thus perpetuating inequities in STEM education and careers (Tate et al., 2012). To address these issues, we designed a Fellowship program that strengthened K-12 STEM teacher leadership in local, high-need, schools. However, at the end of the five-year fellowship, we find that the contexts of the schools in which they work significantly impact their success and ability to implement what they learned.
Research Questions
How does context affect teacher leaders’ ability to enact change?
Approach
Lave and Wenger (1991) explain that personal identity development occurs over “long-term, living relations between persons and their place and participation in communities of practice. Thus, identity, knowing, and social membership entail one another” (p. 52). When a person becomes a full participant in a particular community of practice, he or she is able to form an identity within that domain. This is often a change from lesser action to full action. For example, a teacher that first participates in a professional development may later identify as a leader in that area if he or she works to plan a professional development and then present it on his or her own. Working towards understanding how teacher leadership is developed to support STEM instruction is an important piece of improving STEM education (Berg et al., 2014; Joswick-O’Connor, 2020). In this program, K-12 teachers collaborated and worked individually to build their STEM teacher leader identities while bringing more STEM engagement to their classrooms.STEM teacher leader positional identity development occurs as a person recognizes themselves as a STEM leader and as others recognize them as STEM leaders (Chen & Mensah, 2018; Hazari et al., 2015; Holincheck & Galanti, 2023). A teacher with a strong STEM leader positional identity may describe themselves as such, offer guidance or support to others from the standpoint of a STEM leader, or pursue STEM leadership opportunities in their schools and districts. In addition, teachers with strong STEM leader positional identities, may be positioned that way by others, including principals, colleagues, or students (Chen & Mensah, 2018; Hazari et al., 2015; Holincheck & Galanti, 2023). This might include being named as the “go-to” STEM person in the school, being appointed to a STEM supervisor or coach job, or being appointed on STEM committees in the school or district.This study employed an interpretative case study method, which yielded rich, descriptive findings (Guba & Lincoln, 1989). Our qualitative approach provided detail and nuance to support possible future replication and learning from our findings. Through interpretation of data sources including focus groups, coursework, reflections, meeting notes, and observations, we asked:The research team conducted focus group interviews throughout the fellowship. These 45-minute, semi-structured interviews were initially intended for evaluation of the program but became an important part of this research as the teachers shared recurring ideas about their leadership. In addition, each fellow was assigned a mentor who met with them several times a year. Notes were taken for these meetings and serve as a longitudinal data source. Fellows met monthly for all years of the program. During each of these meetings, members of the research team took notes to record observations and general ideas conveyed throughout the meeting. In this study, they shed light on the nuanced changes that occurred gradually over the years as Fellows shared monthly updates on their progress and experiences. Each Fellow worked on varied teacher leader projects during the fellowship. The descriptions and outcomes of these projects provide additional insight into what projects were possible and successful in their varied environments. Together, these data illuminated experiences and practices of participants in their own words. Their longitudinal scope allowed us to gain a fuller picture of how these Fellows experienced STEM teacher leadership and described their schools and teaching contexts.We used a comparative case study approach to analyze the data (Creswell & Poth, 2018; Yin, 2018). During analysis, researchers’ (some of whom are Fellowship faculty and/or mentors) experiences with each participant helped to inform and organize findings. Also, findings were summarized and shared with participants to member check, another element of rigor and validity (Lincoln & Guba, 1985). Because the data for this study is varied and multiple and collected over the course of several years, the study is characteristic of a rigorous qualitative study (Creswell, 2007). These facets of the study also allow for triangulation (Denzin, 1970; 1978), which may be drawn upon to increase rigor and assure validity. According to Denzin (1978), this study employs “methodological triangulation” and “data triangulation” by using different types of data collection (surveys, observations, written work from activities and teacher lesson plans) over time within different settings (coursework, PD setting, classroom) (p. 472).
Outcomes
We hope that this study illuminates the environments that are most meaningful for teachers to enact change and grow STEM instruction. It can also provide insights for partnering with districts on new initiatives.
Broader Impacts
This study can illuminate what distributed leadership in schools can look like and how important it is for broadening STEM education. Teacher leadership is an avenue for supporting STEM teaching and learning, but best implemented in supportive environments. Techers may find validation in learning of our work and we hope administrators take note to support their own teacher leaders.
