- Year 2019
- NSF Noyce Award # 1439848
- First Name John K
- Last Name Coleman
- Discipline Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Math, Physics
- Co-PI(s)
Fondjo Fotou, Franklin, Langston University; Montgomery, Yvonne, Langston University; Peterson, Alonzo, Langston University; Herron, Marsha, Langston University
- Presenters
Coleman, John K., Langston University. jkcoleman@langston.edu
Need
Recruiting with Retention in Mind. Our own experience and comments from colleagues around the U.S. indicate that this is an area of concern and needs attention in order to improve recruiting and reduce the risk of new teachers abandoning the program. STEM content area skills development is an absolute requirement if our newly minted teachers are to command any semblance of authority in the classroom.
Goals
Do teacher preparation, support, and compensation impact retention of new teachers? If yes, what might be research-based solutions?
Approach
Institutions that prepare credentialed STEM teachers have no impact on their compensation as teachers. At best, they can prepare new teachers to be highly competent in STEM content areas, train them in the ethics of caring, and ensuring that they are respectful of students’ culture. This training imbues teachers with self-confidence, and a sense of their own competence. Providing a mechanism wherein new teachers can easily converse among themselves, with their STEM cohorts who elected not to become teachers, and with Master teachers are valuable retention tactics.
Outcomes
LU’s new STEM teachers who have completed the Noyce program have been recognized for their excellent command of STEM content and classroom management. Their early promotion validates this recognition.
Broader Impacts
Although STEM teacher compensation remains an issue, evidence shows that the tactics of producing new teachers who are highly competent in content areas and who have excellent classroom management skills result in acceptable retention as of this writing. Our next step is to provide support for all efforts aimed at increasing STEM teachers’ salary.
