Award Abstract # 2344624
Science and Engineering Practice-Informed Research Experiences in STEM Settings for Preservice Secondary Science Teachers

NSF Org: DUE
Division Of Undergraduate Education
Recipient: ALMA COLLEGE
Initial Amendment Date: September 4, 2024
Latest Amendment Date: September 4, 2024
Award Number: 2344624
Award Instrument: Continuing Grant
Program Manager: Josephine J. Rodriguez
jrodrigu@nsf.gov
 (703)292-0000
DUE
 Division Of Undergraduate Education
EDU
 Directorate for STEM Education
Start Date: October 1, 2024
End Date: September 30, 2027 (Estimated)
Total Intended Award Amount: $589,202.00
Total Awarded Amount to Date: $203,119.00
Funds Obligated to Date: FY 2024 = $203,119.00
History of Investigator:
  • James Hancock (Principal Investigator)
    hancockb@alma.edu
  • Amanda Harwood (Co-Principal Investigator)
Recipient Sponsored Research Office: Alma College
614 W SUPERIOR ST
ALMA
MI  US  48801-1599
(989)463-7111
Sponsor Congressional District: 02
Primary Place of Performance: Alma College
614 W SUPERIOR ST
ALMA
MI  US  48801-1504
Primary Place of Performance
Congressional District:
02
Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): D6MLK34UKWD5
Parent UEI:
NSF Program(s): Robert Noyce Scholarship Pgm
Primary Program Source: 04002627DB NSF STEM Education
04002728DB NSF STEM Education

04AC2324DB EDU DRSA DEFC AAB
Program Reference Code(s): 9178
Program Element Code(s): 179500
Award Agency Code: 4900
Fund Agency Code: 4900
Assistance Listing Number(s): 47.076

ABSTRACT

This Noyce Research Experiences in STEM Settings (RESS) project aims to serve the national need of preparing high-quality science teachers who will convey the excitement of scientific research to students and improve their STEM learning experience. Summer research experiences support teachers? science teaching efficacy and, ultimately, their students' learning. In this project, prospective secondary science teachers will work as active members of research teams, guided by experienced faculty research mentors, to engage in ten weeks of hands-on and minds-on summer research. Participants will be supported through regular research group meetings, seminars, and opportunities to attend and potentially present their research to broader audiences at a disciplinary-relevant national-level conference. Participants will be further supported to translate their research experiences into instructional plans for their future students through professional development that will leverage the Ambitious Science Teaching framework and the Science and Engineering Practices (SEPs) included in the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Collectively, these project experiences have the potential to encourage and prepare prospective secondary science teachers to enact high-quality science instruction in their future classrooms.

This project at Alma College aims to provide authentic summer research experiences for three cohorts of eight preservice STEM teachers that will serve as a foundation from which they will create learning opportunities for their future students. Project goals include: 1) Recruiting and selecting three cohorts of eight preservice STEM teachers from diverse backgrounds to work in research teams with four science faculty mentors; 2) Developing, implementing, and evaluating three ten-week summer research experiences; 3) Developing, implementing, and evaluating professional learning opportunities, focusing on the SEPs in the NGSS; and 4) Supporting participants in translating their research experiences into instructional units that are (a) phenomenon-based and (b) aligned with relevant performance expectations in the NGSS. This project will help prepare high-quality science teachers who will convey the excitement of scientific research to students and improve their STEM learning experience. Through evaluation, the project will generate knowledge about the impact of research experiences and SEP-informed professional development on prospective science teachers. This Research Experiences in STEM Settings (RESS) project is supported through the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program (Noyce). The Noyce program supports talented STEM undergraduate majors and professionals to become effective K-12 STEM teachers and experienced, exemplary K-12 teachers to become STEM master teachers in high-need school districts. It also supports research on the effectiveness and retention of K-12 STEM teachers in high-need school districts.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

Please report errors in award information by writing to: awardsearch@nsf.gov.

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