Strategic Recruitment Strategies to Attract Students into Chemistry and Physics Education Michelle L. Dean, Gregory Rushton, David Rosengrant & Brett Criswell
The Need It has been echoed for numerous years that the nation needs STEM teachers who: • Are competent in the subject area • Offer quality education to their students by utilizing best practices • Will persist in the field Institute of Medicine, National Academy of Sciences, and National Academy of Engineering. Rising Above the Gathering Storm: Energizing and Employing America for a Brighter Economic Future . Washington, DC: The National Academies Press, 2007. National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, and Institute of Medicine. Rising Above the Gathering Storm, Revisited: Rapidly Approaching Category 5 . Washington, DC: The National Academies Press, 2010. Landers, E. S., & Gates, Jr. S. J. (2010). Prepare and Inspire, 330 ( 6001) , 151. White House Office of the Press Secretary (2012) President Obama announces plans for a new national corps to recognize and reward leading educators in science, technology, engineering and math. (Accessed Sept. 2014)
Responses to the National Need • Development of alternative certification routes • Restructuring current education programs to draw students in (UTeach, PhysTec, Woodrow Wilson Fellows) • Incentives to pursue degrees in STEM education programs (Noyce, WWF, private scholarships, etc.)
KSU Production of UG Biology & Chemistry Teachers 12 10 8 6 4 2 0 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 Biology Chemistry
Labor Market Theory • The basic principle driving the supply of teachers is the following: Individuals will become or remain teachers if teaching represents the most attractive activity to pursue among all activities available to them. • Making the career attractive and desirable – ease of entry and overall compensation (salary, benefits, working conditions, and personal satisfaction). • Utilize these elements as leverage to bring supply in line with demand. Haggstrom, G., Darling ‐ Hammond, L., & Grissmer, D. (1988). Assessing teacher supply and demand (R ‐ 3633 ‐ ED/CSTP). Santa Monica, CA: RAND.
Elements of a Comprehensive and Strategic Recruitment Plan Philosophy Philosophical connections between the the situated learning experience and the teacher preparation program Purposeful Experiences Experiences that are designed to build on each other over time Situated Experiences Attention is given to prior experiences and utilizes these in the recruitment plan Luft, J. A.; Wong, S. S.; Semken, S. Rethinking Recruitment: The comprehensive and strategic recruitment of secondary science teachers. J. Sci. Teacher Educ. (2011). 22, 459 ‐ 474.
Our Role Quality Quality content content preparation preparation Quality Quality teacher teacher preparation preparation Teachers who Teachers who serve as role serve as role models models
Context for Recruitment at KSU Third largest GA public institution • Primarily undergraduate institution with nearly 25,000 • undergraduate and graduate students An offering of 89 degree programs ‐ bachelors (52), masters • (29) and doctoral (8) Within the top 2 producers of teachers in the state of GA • The largest producer of chemistry and physics teachers in GA •
Preparation Strategies: Multiple Pathways BS Chemistry, Chem. Ed. Track • – Earn chemistry degree and certification – 24 hours of upper level chemistry; 33 hours of education & chemistry education – For “ early deciders ” Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) Chemistry • – Earn Masters Degree and certification within 1 ‐ 1.5 yrs – Enroll in education, chemistry education courses & needed foundation courses – For recent graduates, career changers & current teachers
Chemistry & Physics Teacher Production Awarded 2 nd NSF Noyce MAT ‐ Sci Hired 3 rd & Hire 4 th Chem. Ed. program Chem Ed Awarded 3 rd 10 Faculty approved Faculty NSF Noyce 9 8 Awarded 1 st 7 NSF Noyce 6 Hired 2nd Hired 1 st Chem. Ed. 5 Chem. Ed. Faculty 4 Faculty 3 2 1 0 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 BS Chemistry MAT Chemistry MAT Physics
Noyce Programs at KSU Previous Noyce Programs Noyce I Chemistry and Physics A partnership between KSU and GA Tech • Recruitment of undergraduates to complete their senior year • and enter the MAT Chemistry or Physics program at KSU Offered $10,000/year •
Noyce Programs at KSU Current Programs I ‐ IMPACT Noyce II project that recruits teaching fellows (TFs) and master • teaching fellows (MTFs) This program focuses on teacher leadership as a function of • retention of quality teachers Each is offered $10,000/year for participation in the 5 ‐ year • program
I ‐ IMPACT Teaching Fellows (TFs) Master Teaching Fellows (MTFs) 16 current Chemistry or Physics • 16 STEM career changers recruited • teachers from 5 metro ‐ Atlanta school into MAT Chemistry or Physics program systems Selected through an application and • Selected through a multistep process • interview process Support for 5 years – beginning once • Support for 5 years – including • they enroll in the MAT program at support for content, pedagogy and to KSU and during the first 4 years of earn an endorsement in educational their career leadership
Noyce Programs at KSU Current Programs Noyce ‐ CPU Noyce I project that recruits high school and undergraduates into • chemistry and physics education degree tracks at KSU This program focuses on the construction of a pipeline that leads • towards graduation with teaching certification in chemistry or physics 25 Noyce scholars are offered $13,500/year during their least two • years of the degree program.
Noyce Programs at KSU Service Learning in Chemistry and Physics Service Learning in Chemistry and Physics KeCoPA ISLAND Summer Camp KeCoPA ISLAND Summer Camp Open to all undergrads Noyce ‐ CPU Scholarship Noyce ‐ CPU Scholarship to learn the foundations of chemistry and physics Designed to recruit 8 HS education and allow and 16 KSU students to Designed to support 25 them to engage in offer them teaching students in the last two outreach activities with experience in a low years of the chemistry partner middle schools. stakes and supportive and physics education environment degree track.
Population Pipeline How to Meet Them Anticipated Pre ‐ service Program Comments Locate strong local K12 science education Local K ‐ 12 middle and Science B.S. with teacher Pre ‐ college students departments; target high schools education degree track STEM academies and magnet programs introductory science Early ‐ undergraduate Science B.S. with teacher This may include classes & foundation science majors education degree track visiting 2 ‐ year colleges science education courses academic advisors; should count as upper ‐ Late ‐ college content faculty; science level elective towards undergraduate (and major clubs; career fairs; M.A.T./M.Ed. (or equivalent) graduation graduate) science majors upper ‐ level science requirements if courses; possible alumni associations; social media; professional organizations; university Early ‐ career science career services; M.A.T./M.Ed. (or equivalent) graduates recruitment agencies; tutoring/test preparation centers must offer efficient and flexible route to alumni associations; Mid ‐ to late ‐ career science M.A.T./M.Ed./University ‐ Based teaching or else professional professionals Alt. Cert. Program alternative preparation organizations; print media becomes preferred route
Phases of Recruitment 1. Planting the seed 2. Nurturing the idea
Evaluating the Needs of Recruitment Populations Population Pipeline Greatest Needs to Decide Strong role models Pre ‐ college students Teaching experiences Early ‐ undergraduate science majors Teaching experiences Late ‐ college undergraduate (and graduate) Advisement in weighing career choices science majors Teaching experiences Advisement in weighing career choices Early ‐ career science graduates Aide to bridge the gap between the two careers Advisement in weighing career choices Mid ‐ to late ‐ career science professionals Aide to bridge the gap between the two careers
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