- Year 2017
- NSF Noyce Award # 1340082
- First Name Ian
- Last Name Lindevald
- Discipline Other: Mathematics & Physics
- Co-PI(s)
Susan Scheurer, Truman State University, scheurer@truman.edu
Paul Yoder, Truman State University, pyoder@truman.edu - Presenters
Ian Lindevald, Truman State University, lindy@truman.edu
Need
The Truman Noyce Scholars Program is responding to the urgent need for highly-qualified secondary STEM teacher sin Missouri. Our program focuses specifically on producing mathematics an physics teachers. The need for qualified teachers in these disciplines, especially physics, is so dire that Missouri is considered a ‘red light’ state by the National Council on Teacher Quality. This means that the certification requirements are lax in demanding that STEM teachers have adequately mastered content in their specific are of so-called expertise.
Goals
The goal of our program is to recruit Truman math and physics majors, have them complete undergraduate degrees in math and physics, then complete Truman’s signature Master of Arts in Education degree. After graduation our scholars will be qualified to teach both mathematics and physics in Missouri high schools.
Approach
Truman Noyce Scholars Program is led by three faculty members representing the Physics, Mathematics, and Education departments. The PIs wrote a curriculum for a math/physics undergraduate degree leading into a MAE degree with a two semester internship leading to state certification. This curriculum had to be approved by each discipline as well as the graduate council. The curriculum id designed to have our Noyce Scholars finish their BA degree in four years, then follow up with a year of taking graduate classes with another year for their internship.
Outcomes
Our first Noyce scholar will be starting his internship this fall so we don’t have any findings to report.
Broader Impacts
Since the Truman Noyce Scholars Program has not placed any teachers in the field we have had no impact in secondary schools yet. The Truman Noyce Scholars Program has been central in rebuilding a STEM Ed culture on our campus. Members of our project have were involved in hiring a STEM Education specialist that advises and mentors STEM majors entering the MAE. There is also interest at Truman in taking the lessons learned from our phase one grant and applying for another Noyce grant that would produce teachers qualified to teach two STEM subjects. Faculty from our program were also instrumental in transforming a pre-education student organization from mathematics-centered to including all STEM majors.
