Authentic Summer Research Experiences for STEM Pre-Service Teachers

This Research Experiences in STEM Settings (RESS) project aims to serve the national need of preparing highly qualified secondary STEM teachers equipped with authentic research experiences. Additionally, this project will support 30 pre-service teachers in STEM fields by offering six-week research experiences in university labs and opportunities to develop lesson plans based on their research experience. The proposed project components will enable high-achieving prospective teachers to become secondary STEM teachers with extensive expertise in STEM content, research practices, and teaching skills. This project at Georgia Institute of Technology includes partnerships with Clayton State University, Mercer University, and local school districts. Project goals include developing a sustainable STEM Research Experience for Pre-Service Teachers (REPST) summer program and enhancing participants’ content knowledge and pedagogical skills through authentic research and mentoring experiences. Over three years, the project will engage 30 STEM undergraduate and master’s level pre-service teachers in these research experiences. This project will be iteratively evaluated. Evaluation of the project will be guided by the following evaluation questions: (a) How do authentic research experiences impact pre-service teachers’ STEM content knowledge and teaching practices? (b) How do these experiences influence participants’ ability to transfer research practices to their teaching? The results of this project will be disseminated to help enhance the field. This RESS project is supported through the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program (Noyce). The Noyce program supports talented STEM undergraduate majors and professionals to become effective K-12 STEM teachers and experienced, exemplary K-12 teachers to become STEM master teachers in high-need school districts. It also supports research on the effectiveness and retention of K-12 STEM teachers in high-need school districts. 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.