- Year 2016
- NSF Noyce Award # 1439839
- First Name Christina
- Last Name McCartha
- Discipline Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics
- Co-PI(s)
Charles Horn, Newberry College, charles.horn@newberry.edu
Laura Lanni, Newberry College, laura.lanni@newberry.edu
Renee Stubbs, Newberry College, renee.stubbs@newberry.edu
Sara Peters, Newberry College, sara.peters@newberry.edu
Cynthia Aulbach, Newberry College, cynthia.aulbach@newberry.edu
Katie Simmons, Newberry College; katie.simmons@newberry.edu
Greg Rushton, Stony Brook University - Presenters
Christina McCartha, Newberry College, christina.mccartha@newberry.edu; Sara Peters, Newberry College, sara.peters@newberry.edu
Need
Through funding from the National Science Foundation’s Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program, this Phase II Noyce project will continue much of the work initiated in Newberry College’s Phase I Noyce award. This Recruit and Engage Mathematics AND Science Teachers (REMAST) Phase II project will produce additional STEM teachers over the course of the next five years, add leadership and mentor training for all parties in the project, and conduct a longitudinal study of factors that contribute to Noyce Scholar recipients’ pre- and in-service effectiveness and their persistence and leadership in the teaching profession. The partner school districts of Fairfield, Newberry, Lexington, and Richland Counties in South Carolina will provide diverse settings for Noyce Scholars to explore and experience teaching, while at the same time benefitting from the number of nascent STEM teachers with solid backgrounds in science and/or mathematics, pedagogical skills and dispositions of determination for the potential of each student in their classrooms to learn consequential mathematics and science.
This research study will examine factors at both the program level and the Noyce Scholar level. The project is explicit in its intent to benefit others through the sharing of research derivatives, including protocols, instruments, and professional development materials appropriate for use by practicing school professionals and teacher educators, as well as through scholarly publication of results and findings.
Goals
Based on the findings from the REMAST Phase I program, the REMAST Phase II program will: 1) recruit 9 to 16 additional STEM majors into teaching; 2) provide educational support for Scholars; 3) provide professional development opportunities for Mentors, scholar graduates (Teaching Fellows), and grant personnel; and 4) pursue a rigorous and innovative research agenda related to teacher retention, or persistence of math and science teachers in the teaching profession.
The key activities taking place are as follows: 1) Currently during spring 2016, we have 5 REMAST scholars. Two are graduating, 3 will be supported during 2016-2017. Both of the graduates have found employment in high needs districts for 2016-2017. 2) scholar support occurs through monthly professional Development activities, mentor/advising support, STEM education course on content literacy during Mayterm with field experience hours, field trips and conference travel. 3) monthly professional Development meetings and conference travel (NCTM, ASCD, ASB, BCCE, SC Technology, and REMAST summer professional development). 4) data collection has begun for year 2 of the grant for RE-MAST I teachers.
Approach
The REMAST program has formed a Professional Learning Community of scholars, teaching fellows, mentor teachers, and grant personnel. Specific activities of the REMAST Phase II project include: 1) recruiting of nine to sixteen additional STEM majors into teaching; 2) delivering educational supports for Noyce Scholars; 3) providing professional development opportunities for Mentors, Noyce Teaching Fellows (former Noyce Scholars), and grant personnel; and 4) pursuing a rigorous research agenda related to teacher retention, or persistence of mathematics and science teachers in the teaching profession.
Outcomes
REMAST is currently collecting data from in-service STEM teachers (Teaching fellows) for analysis this summer. A 4-day Learning Focused Professional Development Summer Camp is being held for grant participants in July 2016. Three representatives from the project will attend the National Noyce summit in July. Two chemistry faculty will attend BCCE 2016 in August 2016.
Broader Impacts
Broader impacts of the program will be achieved in two ways. In addition to the project publication and presentation schedule, research derivatives will include protocols, instruments, and/or professional development materials appropriate for use by practicing school professionals and teacher educators. Research products will be useable and widely available through a REMAST website currently in design. In-house, on-line publication of research results and products on the REMAST website will ensure that findings are appropriately available to other researchers, but also project participants, partners, and the target audience of public school educators and teacher educators. Second, broader impacts will be achieved through REMAST’s focus on an inquiry model of science and mathematics teaching and learning, licensing and deployment of 9 to 16 additional scholars into high needs schools in SC and beyond, involvement of Scholars, Teaching Fellows, and Mentors in professional development and research, and a focus on the recruitment of minority and first generation college students into the teaching of science and mathematics.
