Although few states have K-12 engineering teacher licensure programs, there is an increase in the number of pre-engineering K-12 programs. Many of these programs often lack formally trained engineering teachers. In this Noyce Track 1 project, Ohio Northern University will address this teacher shortage in Ohio. The project aims to prepare and support 29 engineering and mathematics majors in the university's accredited Engineering Education and Mathematics Education programs. Pre-service teachers in these programs will complete secondary teacher licensure requirements for grades 7 - 12 and leave the program prepared to teach engineering and/or mathematics in secondary high-need schools in Ohio. Additionally, these Noyce scholars will participate in professional training and immersive experiences related to diversity and cultural awareness. Successful implementation of this Noyce project has the potential to positively affect engineering and mathematics educators statewide and to strengthen partnerships with area K-12 schools. The project will result in the creation of a new Engineering Education Certificate.
This five-year project aims to increase the number of engineering and mathematics graduates at Ohio Northern University who are certified to teach mathematics and/or engineering. The project will offer multidisciplinary coursework, engineering and mathematics education cross-instructional preparation, cultural responsiveness training, peer mentoring, and immersive field experiences in urban and rural settings. Scholar recruitment activities will leverage high-impact experiential learning opportunities. These opportunities will include outreach events held at area K-12 schools, STEM-focused summer camps, university-supported internships, faculty-advised research, and a five-day intensive urban teaching experience. Noyce scholars will be prepared to use a constructionist approach to inductive learning, guided inquiry, and project-based learning. The project aims to produce educators with increased competencies in teaching and learning strategies aligned with the national science and mathematics education standards. Lessons learned through the development of teacher recruitment and preparation practices for engineering and math educators can provide insight for further increasing the number of highly qualified engineering and mathematics teachers.
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.
