This Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship project at the University of Wyoming (UW) and Central Wyoming College (CWC) seeks to increase the number of talented STEM teachers in high-needs public, elementary schools (grades K-6) in rural Wyoming. During the funding period, 30 students will receive scholarships in their junior, senior, and fifth years to complete dual STEM and early childhood/elementary education majors. The primary goal of the project is to train a diverse group of students with strong STEM backgrounds to increase the quality and number of math and science teachers in the region. The project objectives are to establish (a) recruitment activities that include parents and students at regional high schools, (b) training and summer research internships to cultivate an interest in STEM teaching among rising sophomores, (c) mathematics tutoring and mentoring activities that include seminars and retreats with STEM professionals, elders, and community leaders, and (d) support mechanisms for pre-service teachers through professional learning communities and online focus groups. In order to broaden participation of scholars from groups which are under-represented in STEM, recruitment efforts will target Native American and Hispanic students and support structures will focus on mitigating systematic disadvantages and boosting self-efficacy, particularly in STEM education. The project will be conducted in collaboration with the Science and Mathematics Teaching Center and Converse County, Crook County, Fremont County, Natrona County, and Uinta County school districts.
Self-efficacy is known to be a strong motivating factor for the course of action individuals may take, the amount of effort they will expend, how long they will persevere when challenged, how much stress they will experience, and the level of success they will reach. The Noyce Scholars will develop strong science and mathematics content knowledge and reinforce their capacity to sustain STEM teaching and learning in rural schools through place-based education and culturally relevant pedagogy, thereby laying the foundation for their efficacy as teachers. Rising sophomores will participate in science and math internships through K-12 summer programs sponsored by 4-H, Wyoming Astrocamp, and the Teton Science schools among others. Students at UW will have options to take a variety of dual STEM and education tracks in chemistry, computer science, engineering, geology, biology, or math. At CWC, dual majors will be created for biology and math students. Three levels of mentorship will be offered to the participants, near-peer (graduate students and young professionals will interact with students during internships), faculty (professors will have one-on-one, bi-weekly meetings during the academic junior, senior, and fifth years), and teacher (retired teachers will help students reflect on their student teaching experiences) mentoring. Data generated through assessment and evaluation should support the rationale that by cultivating students' self-efficacy as STEM educators, they will persist in the course of study and become better, more dedicated teachers. Formative and summative evaluation will focus on whether or not the project objectives have been met and the effectiveness of project activities. Assessment of students' progress and performance will include both qualitative and quantitative data collected through annual participant surveys and artifact reviews, teacher self-efficacy surveys, social identity tests, and classroom observation. Dissemination of the project results will provide a model for using this self-efficacy framework as a tool for training future STEM teachers. The project team plans to present their work through annual meetings of the American Educational Research Association, Association of Teacher Educators, and National Association of Research in Science Teaching and through publication of research and evaluation findings in journals such as the Journal of Teacher Education, Action in Teacher Education, and Journal of Cultural Diversity. Project deliverables will include results of summative evaluation and course materials.
