- Year 2024
- NSF Award #2150922
- Registration Noyce Scholar/Teaching Fellow/Master Teacher
- Role Master Teaching Fellow
- First Name Gillian
- Last Name Brubaker
- Discipline Life Sciences, STEM Education (general)
- Institution University of Rochester
Abstract
The Noyce MTF project at the University of Rochester (NSF Award # 2150922) focuses on preparing teacher leaders to be agents of change around issues of belonging, access, justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion in STEM teaching and learning. Through a teacher inquiry project connected to this theme, ways to make a literature-dense curriculum accessible through direct vocabulary instruction to students who lack a strong foundation in scientific literacy were investigated. Summative assessments were initially analyzed to consider the levels of language skills required to successfully answer questions. The success rate of students on these questions was also analyzed. A three-step process was then incorporated to make vocabulary more accessible including a vocabulary journal, daily warm-up questions, and autonomous vocabulary review activities allowing more student choice. Analysis of subsequent assessment data suggested a student improvement of 10% on questions that require vocabulary knowledge. Additionally, students reported the content and questions were “easier to understand” because of the steps taken. These instructional steps, extended over time, provided opportunities for students to hear, speak, read, and write words in various contexts throughout the curriculum more fully.
Focus
STEM content and/or convergent skills development
