- Year 2024
- NSF Noyce Award # 2150720
- First Name Demetrice
- Last Name Smith-Mutegi
- Registration Faculty/Administrator/Other
- Discipline STEM Education (general)
- Role Co-PI
- Presenters
Demetrice Smith-Mutegi, Christina Steel, Old Dominion University
Need
The requirement for preservice teachers to maintain weekly journals encourages reflection on their experiences and growth. This reflective practice is a critical component of professional development in teaching, as it allows future teachers to critically reflect on the actions, decisions, and teaching styles within the STEM classroom environment as a tool of practice. Further, the journal reflections are grounded in culturally relevant pedagogy (CRP). Documenting how pre-service teachers apply these principles in real classrooms provides valuable insights into the practical challenges and successes of implementing culturally relevant strategies.
Research Questions
Questions guiding this work include: What types of teaching activities do pre-service teachers observe most frequently in their mentor’s classroom? How do pre-service teachers participate in these activities? Are they observers, co-teachers, or lead teachers at different times? What are the common behaviors and practices of mentor teachers that preservice teachers note in their journals regarding culturally relevant pedagogy? What key teaching strategies or methods have preservice teachers identified as significant learning points from their mentors?
Approach
The approach to our study is qualitative. In this, we aim to delve deep into the experiences and perceptions of PSTs. By utilizing reflective journals, we engage PSTs in a process of critical reflection that is essential for their development as culturally competent STEM educators. This method not only facilitates a detailed understanding of the PSTs’ day-to-day experiences but also provides a rich, narrative data set that captures the complexities of learning to teach in diverse classroom settings over time. Qualitative data from the reflective journals will be analyzed using thematic analysis. This will involve coding the data to identify recurring themes related to the types of activities, culturally relevant practices, and the overall engagement and comfort of the PSTs in their mentorship experiences.
Outcomes
We are currently still analyzing the data set.
Broader Impacts
As our STEM PSTs become more culturally competent, they are better equipped to serve diverse populations, which can lead to more inclusive and equitable STEM classroom environments.
