Elementary school teachers who enter the profession with positive STEM attitudes and abilities have increased confidence in teaching math and science which can positively impact their students. Understanding the reasons why STEM majors switch career paths and persist in elementary education could have implications for undergraduate recruitment as well as long-term teacher retention. This paper presents two case studies using interview data involving fourth-year undergraduate elementary teacher candidates, both former STEM majors. In this qualitative analysis, I unpack motivating factors pertinent to their educational choices, in particular why participants switched from STEM fields to education. Results show high value is placed on elements like creative license, enjoyable classrooms, strong relationships, and safe spaces to take risks. Less important are lucrative careers and professional “success.”
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"Connecting the Dots” for Recruiting Secondary Science Teachers in Urban Schools: An Exploration of Career Choice for Undergraduate Science Majors
Despite critical shortages of secondary science teachers in urban schools, relatively little research has focused on the recruitment of undergraduate science majors to teach in urban contexts. This study utilized a retrospective narrative inquiry methodology to explore the career pathways of 14 undergraduate science majors into secondary science teaching. The primary data source was interviews that were conducted at the beginning of an urban teacher education program. Interviews were analyzed through the framework of social cognitive career theory (SCCT) to identify the characteristics, beliefs, and experiences that featured prominently in their narrativizations of their career pathway into urban science education. Findings highlight a non-linear process of career choice characterized by three themes: rejecting traditional science careers, reevaluating their interests and skills for teaching, and prioritizing socially oriented career goals. Implications for enhancing the recruitment of undergraduate science majors into urban science teaching include transforming undergraduate science majors to value teaching careers and taking a more community-based approach to science teacher recruitment.
more » « less- PAR ID:
- 10502171
- Publisher / Repository:
- Springer Science + Business Media
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- The Urban Review
- Volume:
- 56
- Issue:
- 5
- ISSN:
- 0042-0972
- Format(s):
- Medium: X Size: p. 648-671
- Size(s):
- p. 648-671
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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Abstract We investigated beginning secondary science teachers’ understandings of the science and engineering practice of developing and using models. Our study was situated in a scholarship program that served two groups: undergraduate STEM majors interested in teaching, or potential teachers, and graduate students enrolled in a teacher education program to earn their credentials, or preservice teachers. The two groups completed intensive practicum experiences in STEM‐focused academies within two public high schools. We conducted a series of interviews with each participant and used grade‐level competencies outlined in the
Next Generation Science Standards to analyze their understanding of the practice of developing and using models. We found that potential and preservice teachers understood this practice in ways that both aligned and did not align with theNGSS and that their understandings varied across the two groups and the two practicum contexts. In our implications, we recommend that teacher educators recognize and build from the various ways potential and preservice teachers understand this complex practice to improve its implementation in science classrooms. Further, we recommend that a variety of practicum contexts may help beginning teachers develop a greater breadth of understanding about the practice of developing and using models. -
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Abstract We examined the effects of teacher education on preservice secondary science and mathematics teacher readiness. The construct of teacher readiness consisted of three dimensions: (a) preservice teachers’ understanding of how to implement current standards, (b) their understanding of how to teach multilingual learners (MLs), and (c) their beliefs about their abilities and skills as educators. To determine teacher readiness, a subset of preservice teachers enrolled in six teacher education programs (TEPs) completed a pre‐ and post‐survey. We found that the undergraduate STEM teacher recruitment program was associated with developing preservice teachers’ understanding of standards‐based instruction but was not associated with the other two dimensions of teacher readiness. We also found that the post‐baccalaureate TEPs were effective in developing preservice teachers’ understanding of ML instruction, whereas the experimental baccalaureate program was not. Further, we found that teacher readiness did not predict participants’ performance assessment (edTPA) scores. Findings suggest that teacher educators and curriculum developers involved in undergraduate STEM teacher recruitment programs should better address language, literacy, and ML instruction. Both teacher recruitment and TEPs should consider ways to strengthen teacher efficacy. Finally, teacher educators should carefully consider how their coursework and field experiences help preservice teachers prepare for the edTPA.
