Impacts of STEM Professional Development on Teachers’ Knowledge, Self-Efficacy, and Practice
The authors describe how a STEM education descriptive framework was used to design and enact a year-long professional development with eight middle and secondary teachers at non-STEM focused schools in Southeast USA. They examined the professional development impact on teacher content knowledge, self-efficacy, and practice using pre- and post-test scores on a content exam, pre- and post-test scores on a self-efficacy instrument, and self-reported STEM integration efforts.
Teach (STEM)3: A Clinical Residency Model for Preparing Effective STEM Teachers
The University of Indianapolis Teach (STEM)3 awards a MAT degree with licensure in Chemistry, Biology, or Math. UIndy TS3 consists of multiple layers of support, including a clinical residency, integrated and scaffolded coursework, and two years of in-service mentoring. Evaluation and retention results indicate that candidates are well-supported in their high-need classrooms by these program components. The 3-year retention rate of 93% over eight cohorts is higher than the national average.
Developing STEM Teachers through Both Informal and Formal Learning Experiences
This article highlights the impact of teachHouston on students’ pursuing STEM teaching careers. Both informal and formal learning opportunities were created and implemented to better prepare preservice STEM teachers and to build self efficacy. The outcomes indicate that formal and formal experiences can impact self-efficacy which may lead to increased production and retention of STEM teachers.
A Glimpse into the Effectiveness of Mentoring and Enrichment Activities for Scholarship Recipients in a Teacher Preparation Program
Students selected for the TAMIU Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program at Texas A&M International University in Laredo, TX receive additional mentoring from university faculty and other professionals in the field. This paper will outline this mentoring scheme as well as examine its preliminary effectiveness.
