Creating Pathways in STEM Education is a Capacity Building project at St. Bonaventure University. The project will contribute to the national interest in educating high quality teachers of STEM fields by designing four new curricular pathways at St. Bonaventure University. These pathways will enable students to achieve a BA in biology, chemistry, mathematics or physics as well as secondary teaching certification within four years. The curricular design process will strengthen relationships between STEM faculty and education faculty through collaborative engagement. Local teachers will also participate in the design process to provide their insights into elements of teacher preparation programs that truly prepare new STEM teachers to be effective in high-need schools. The project will also engage in market research and recruiting activities that will contribute to deepening understanding of factors that are salient for recruiting future STEM teachers.
The curriculum development process will take place through a stepwise series of workshops with STEM and education faculty from St. Bonaventure University as well as teachers from high need schools in the local area. Workshops will enable participants to construct a shared understanding of 1) the essential features of high quality content and pedagogy education for future STEM teachers, 2) the realities of STEM teaching in high need schools, and 3) state requirements for STEM teacher certification programs and effective models for meeting requirements. A final series of meetings will engage faculty participants in outlining the four new pathways. An external consultant will guide the process and provide comments on draft proposals, which will be finalized and submitted for institutional and state review as tangible products during the project period. Market research on models at other institutions and on the potential pool of students for these new degrees will be conducted to provide the supporting documentation for the proposals that is a required part of the review process. Dissemination efforts will focus on sharing lessons learned with local and institutional communities as well as with a national audience through conference presentations.
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.
