- Year 2019
- NSF Noyce Award # 1758282
- First Name Douglas
- Last Name Larkin
- Discipline Biology, Chemistry, Geosciences, Physics
- Co-PI(s)
Sandra Adams, co-PI, Montclair State University, adamssa@montclair.edu
- Presenters
Douglas Larkin, Montclair State University, larkind@montclair.edu;
Suzanne Poole, Doctoral Assistant, Montclair State University, pooles1@montclair.edu
Need
In the U.S., a significant amount of resources are being devoted towards the recruitment and preparation of science teachers, yet it is not well understood what components of mentoring and induction experiences represent best practices that could positively impact the retention of these teachers. A better understanding of the best practices for designing mentoring and induction experiences for new science teachers will have clear implications for both policy and practice. There is a particular need to ensure that science teachers, including in high-need schools are provided the necessary supports that allow them to become more effective teachers over time, and this study will advance knowledge by investigating examples of such teachers with case studies. This study will also be able to compare Noyce program graduates with their non-Noyce counterparts in four different state contexts.
Goals
What factors are related to the retention of science teachers in high need schools, science teachers of color, and Noyce graduates?
Approach
This project has two distinct phases. In the first phase, researchers will examine 8 years of publicly available staffing data in order to obtain more a nuanced picture concerning the retention of science teachers in the focus states by constructing a 5-year retention map for three cohorts of teachers in each state, with additional cohorts tracked over the duration of the study. This will differ from previous sample-based retention studies because full staffing data from each state will be used to map the career paths of individual science teachers for a more comprehensive picture of teacher retention, mobility, and attrition. The findings from this analysis will be used to set the stage for the second phase of the research, by identifying districts that are successful in retaining science teachers for further study. In the second phase, the researchers will examine more closely a subset of districts that demonstrate high retention rates generally for science teachers.
Outcomes
There are no outcomes to report yet. The poster will be an update of the project activities thus far.
Broader Impacts
In the United States, there remains a dire shortage of qualified science teachers. In the State of New Jersey, a preliminary analysis of staffing data shows that nearly 40% of all new science teachers are no longer teaching after four years, a statistic that has a greater impact in high-need schools. Nationally, the data suggests that efforts to maintain a robust science teacher workforce have been similarly hampered by the attrition of certified science teachers. A better understanding of the successful efforts to prepare, support, and retain science teachers has the potential to significantly reduce science teacher turnover across the country, and ultimately provide higher quality science instruction to students in our nation’s schools as the shortage of highly qualified science teachers is reduced.
