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Growing emphasis on elementary STEM education has pushed elementary teachers to face curriculum changes that focus on standards with which they are largely unfamiliar (Smith, 2020; Trygstad et al., 2013). As a result, elementary students are not always exposed to STEM subjects or integration and miss out on opportunities to access and enjoy the hands-on, inquiry-driven activities that accompany them. This deficit disproportionally impacts high-need, urban districts that serve Black and Brown children and families, thus perpetuating inequities in STEM education and careers (Tate et al., 2012). To address these issues, we designed a Fellowship program that strengthened K-12 STEM teacher leadership in local, high-need, schools. In this paper, we take a closer look at how five elementary teachers took on STEM teacher leader identities and then sustained and strengthened those even as program supports reduced. We asked: How do elementary teachers develop and sustain STEM and leadership identities through participation in a Master Teacher Fellowship? Using positional identity and selfefficacy lenses, we interpreted focus group interviews, coursework, reflections, and Fellowship meeting notes. Findings suggest that elementary teachers developed their identities gradually—first, as they recognized themselves as STEM teachers; next, as they recognized themselves as STEM leaders; and then, as others recognized them as STEM teacher leaders and positioned them to enact change in their schools and to support their colleagues. Implications for teacher educators shed light on how elementary teachers can be best supported in increasing STEM learning for their students across grade levels to effect school change.
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This content will become publicly available on January 17, 2026
“All these kids need is some love”: Administrator and Teacher Perspectives on Teacher Persistence in High-Need Schools and Fostering Culture of Caring
Understanding the factors that lead to teacher success and persistence in high-need school districts is imperative for the success of the students in those districts. Teacher success means many things to different stakeholders in high-needs communities: families, colleagues, and administrators are all positioned to benefit from increased teacher retention, leadership, and/or test scores. However, preparing and supporting teachers in their work towards these successes may be more challenging. In this research study, we worked with six administrators and ten teachers representing four high-need districts in the New York metro area to better illustrate their perspectives on what teachers need to be successful in these contexts. Interpreting qualitative data through feminist, identity, and professional learning continuum framing, we asked: How do administrators and teachers perceive the qualities of teachers who persist in high-need schools? Preliminary findings illustrate that although teachers and administrators are in agreement on the qualities required of teachers, the reality is that teachers embodying these qualities are frequently not those who end up being hired. Thus, there is tension on the school culture and goals for student learning, especially for schools in which teacher attrition is greatest.
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- Award ID(s):
- 2050406
- PAR ID:
- 10578123
- Publisher / Repository:
- Assocation of Science Teacher Educators
- Date Published:
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Location:
- Long Beach, CA
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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