Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics-Teacher Preparation (STEM-TP)
The Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics-Teacher Preparation (STEM-TP) project is a collaborative effort between faculty of the University of Colorado-Boulder’s
School of Education and College of Arts and Sciences, and local K-12 teachers. STEM-TP’s mission focuses on the recruitment of talented STEM majors to careers in teaching by coupling
this effort with our efforts to transform large-enrollment STEM courses to include student-centered instruction and the nature of science/mathematics. Our mission also includes assessing and
modifying faculty attitudes and understandings of research-based teaching practices. STEM-TP is funded by the National Science Foundation.
Recruitment of Talented STEM Majors to Teaching Careers through Course Transformation
This research investigates the impact of the STEM-TP program on participating undergraduate students’ (Learning Assistants) attitudes about teaching as a career, their understanding of the nature of science/mathematics, their development of content and pedagogical knowledge, and the impact of our program on student achievement in transformed courses. Longitudinal qualitative measures are used to determine the development of learning assistants’ attitudes and conceptual knowledge, including interviews and weekly web-based reflections on their teaching. Quantitative measures are used to determine learning assistants’ achievement and attitudes as well as the achievement and attitudes of students enrolled in courses that learning assistants are helping to transform. Comparative research includes relative numbers of STEM students enrolling in the School of Education.
Faculty Attitudes and Knowledge of Reform Pedagogy
The focus of this research is on investigating mathematics, science, and education faculty members’ perceptions of reform-based pedagogy and their attitudes about research-based teaching as a legitimate endeavor for themselves and for their students. Qualitative measures are used to determine both participating and non-participating faculty members’ conceptions of teaching and learning, their views of course transformation within their departments, and the advise they give their students regarding teaching as a career. This longitudinal study measures changes in attitudes as well as changes in the level of faculty members’ participation in reform-based teaching practices.
Faculty Leadership Team:
Richard McCray (Astrophysics and Planetary Science), Valerie Otero (School of Education), James Curry (Applied Mathematics), William Wood (Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology), Carl Wieman (Physics), and Steve Iona (High School Physics and Mathematics Teacher).
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