- Year 2022
- NSF Noyce Award # 1557323
- First Name Jenna
- Last Name Porter
- Discipline Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Mathematics, Physics
- Co-PI(s)
Sarah Ives & Deidre Sessoms
- Presenters
Jenna Porter, Sarah Ives, Deidre Sessoms, & Pia Wong, CSU Sacramento
Need
Goals of our Track 3 project were to develop reflective practitioners and to help them develop cultural competence for planning, instruction and assessment in their classrooms. Teachers are rarely supported in structured methods for reflecting on their teaching in relation to student learning. We implemented a structured process for action research and used it as a tool to investigate MTFs (and novice teachers) progress toward developing cultural competence and sustaining deep reflection on student learning.
Goals
We investigated and compared veteran (MTF) and novice STEM teachers’ action research questions. In particular, we asked:1.How does action research inform and improve teachers’ practice to ensure that all students have equitable access to high quality, engaging science? 2.How do interventions subjected to action research impact student learning of STEM concepts and practices?
Approach
STEM teachers engaged in multiple iterations of action research through the following process:1. Identify an equity related problem to investigate2. Use research and knowledge of students and content standards to develop and implement a reasonable intervention 3. Collect and analyze student data to examine the impact that the intervention had on the problem4. Individually and collaboratively reflect and identify next steps for continued examination
Outcomes
MTF reflection on action research- “The process of action research informs and improves my teaching practice by allowing me to be more reflective about myself as a teacher. Every AR cycle that I’ve done always offered me a different insight on how my students think in terms of their understanding of the science concepts and the way they behave as learners of science as they respond to my intervention. Every set of results encouraged me to be more intentional with my lesson planning and be more adaptable with my approach to my students as they change year to year.”
Broader Impacts
We were able to compare MTF and novice teachers’ action research questions, which helps guide our future work on STEM teacher preparation and support through induction. Our next steps are to leverage the MTFs expertise as reflective practitioners and strategically pair them with our student teachers. Our program also includes a Master’s component where students engage in action research. Thus, we are building a network of new and veteran STEM teachers engaging and supporting one another in action research together.
