- Year 2019
- NSF Noyce Award # 1557255
- First Name Cynthia
- Last Name Anhalt
- Institution The University of Arizona
- Role/Position Principal Investigator
- Workshop Category Track 1: Scholarships and Stipends
- Workshop Disciplines Audience Biological
- Target Audience Evaluators/Education Researchers, Noyce Master Teachers, Noyce Teaching Fellows, Project PIs / Co-PIs / Other Faculty/Staff, School and District Administrators, Undergraduate and/or Graduate Noyce Scholars
- Topics Research, Assessment, and/or Evaluation
- Session Length 30 minutes
- Additional Presenter(s)
Elliot D. Beck, elliotbeck@email.arizona.edu, The University of Arizona, Noyce Scholar
Goals
Participants attending this session will gain an understanding of Noyce Scholars’ reflections about: (1) making a difference in STEM teaching for under-represented students; (2) identifying and overcoming challenges that students face in STEM education; and (3) realizing changes to increase access in STEM for under-represented students.
Evidence
Research results from a survey administered at the 2019 Western Regional Noyce Conference – AZ will be reported. Data from the survey revealed how 104 Noyce Scholars and Fellows see themselves as change agents for and through STEM teaching. Of the 104 Noyce Scholars and Fellow, 61 were prospective teachers and 43 were practicing teachers in mathematics and science. The participants’ responses were analyzed for themes across narrative descriptions on making a difference for under-represented students, identifying challenges students may face, and implementing changes to increase access for under-represented students in STEM education.
Proposal
Research findings from a free response narrative survey administered at the 2019 Western Regional Noyce Conference – Arizona will be presented. The survey captured 104 Scholars’ and Fellows’ reflections about how they see themselves as change agents for under-represented students in STEM education. Of the total surveys, 61 were from prospective teachers and 43 from practicing teachers in the Noyce program. Themes that cut across narrative descriptions will be presented on teaching that makes a difference for under-represented students, identifying and overcoming challenges that students may face, and implementing changes to increase access in STEM education for under-represented students. Common themes across responses converged to being responsive to student needs, learning about student personal lives to gain perspectives into academic lives, building on student strengths, advocating for student development of positive identities in STEM, and using engaging content and delivery to ignite student passion for STEM. Theoretical perspectives reflecting these emergent themes from the survey responses will be underscored for initiating discussion.