Award # 1035467  Outcomes Report

 The project entitled “Preparing STEM Majors to Become Highly-Qualified Chemistry and Physics High School Teachers” (NSF DUE Award #: 1035467, September 2010 to August 2017) at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) aimed to address the shortage of high school chemistry and physics teachers in the South Texas region. The project was a collaborative effort between the UTRGV’s College of Science and Mathematics and the College of Education and several independent school districts in the South Texas region.

 Intellectual Merit: The Noyce scholarship yielded the following benefits to the recipients:

• Many of the scholars would not have been able to complete their coursework nor have the flexibility in their schedules without the financial support provided by the project.
• Scholars described receiving a variety of course and career guidance, extra help, and mentoring from program professors.
• Scholars commented how program professors were able to establish a strong sense of community, something that scholars valued.
• Given that many scholars highlighted the education courses in their comments, these and the field components associated with them stood out as memorable and valuable aspects of the scholars’ program experiences.  Scholars also highlighted the likelihood of attaining either additional or advanced degrees in the fields of education, sciences, or mathematics.
• Scholars commented that they felt their program coursework and clinical teaching experiences set them apart from their teacher colleagues, having more rigorously prepared them for classroom teaching. 
• All scholars described feeling adequately prepared and in some cases “fully” prepared to teach. Scholars commented that the coursework, training, and classroom experiences helped them develop the necessary skills and confidence for success in teaching.
• Scholars reported having a strong foundation in their scientific discipline and thus, felt qualified to advance scientific understanding among future students.  

The project incorporated science teaching camps as  recruitment tool. The camps were well received by those who attended and the majority of the respondents indicated they were significantly more likely to pursue teaching as a career than they were prior to attending. Few of the attendees, however, actually went on to apply for the Noyce scholarship or to pursue a career in teaching. Some participants indicated that despite this, the science camp they attended impacted them positively; it gave them a better understanding of education and the corresponding teaching opportunities or cemented their decision to pursue a scientific discipline. All of the summer camp attendees who completed a follow-up survey and are in school reported pursuing a science degree. Of those who graduated, 20% did go into teaching.

Broader Impacts:

The Noyce scholarship awardees were provided with an opportunity to complete their degrees in physical science and mathematics, areas where there are critical shortages of well-qualified teachers. They emerged from the program with expertise in both scientific content and up-to-date pedagogical approaches increasing the likelihood that they would be successful in their STEM teaching career.

The financial incentive provided by the scholarship program was critical to the scholars’ ability to successfully complete their academic program. Many of the students came from financially disadvantaged backgrounds and the financial support provided an opportunity to attend school without having to work full or part-time jobs. Instead, it allowed students to concentrate on their studies and to participate in on-campus professional development activities. The career guidance and support provided by project PIs was another important factor in motivating students to continue in their chosen field. Without this support, students may not have been able to successfully navigate the complex academic programs at the university and the certification process required by the school systems.

There were challenges for the project; the most significant being the difficulties associated with recruiting Hispanic/Latino (a) students into the program.  The reasons are not entirely clear, though it may be related to the fact that many students are not ready to make concrete decisions about a career choice until their final academic years.

The project has been highly successful in preparing the students accepted into the program for academic careers. Eight of the 10 scholarship recipients are already employed in high needs (low income) school in South Texas. Given that the majority of scholarship awardees are Hispanic/Latino (a) and women, the program has contributed to the diversity of science and mathematics teachers. These new teachers will likely serve as role models for youth in the challenging STEM fields.

Last Modified: 09/28/2017
Modified by: Edgar D Corpuz