- Year 2022
- NSF Noyce Award # 1660724
- First Name Juliet
- Last Name Baxter
- Discipline Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Geosciences, Physics
- Co-PI(s)
Dean Livelybrooks and Bryan Rebar
- Presenters
Juliet Baxter & Lisa Livelybrooks, University of Oregon
Need
As our Noyce Scholars begin their first year of teaching it is critical that we provide support that helps them build rapport with their students, while challenging their students to engage in rigorous scientific thinking.
Goals
What are the strategies that mentors can use to support Noyce Scholars as they work to engage all of their students in scientific thinking?
Approach
Our work builds on the research of teacher educators. Feiman-Nemser (1990) has found that successful mentors strive to help first year teachers: (a) deepen their understanding of subject matter, (b) learn to think about academic content from the students’ perspective, (c) learn to represent subject matter in appropriate and engaging ways, and (d) learn to organize students for teaching and learning academic content. Feiman-Nemser, S. (2001). Helping novices learn to teach: Lessons from an exemplary support teacher. Journal of Teacher Education, Vol. 52, No. 1, pp. 17-30.
Outcomes
We have identified specific strategies that help mentors support first year Noyce Scholar teachers. These strategies include establishing trust with students and identifying practical goals, such as planning and classroom set up. We are currently developing strategies for supporting new mentors.
Broader Impacts
Our work will inform the efforts of school districts to support first year science teachers. In addition, we will identify research-based strategies to recruit mentors and inform their work with first year science teachers.
