scholarly journals A Campus-Wide Study of STEM Courses: New Perspectives on Teaching Practices and Perceptions

2014 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 624-635 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle K. Smith ◽  
Erin L. Vinson ◽  
Jeremy A. Smith ◽  
Justin D. Lewin ◽  
MacKenzie R. Stetzer
Keyword(s):  
Teaching Practices ◽  
Student Behavior ◽  
School Science ◽  
Faculty Members ◽  
High School Science ◽  
Observation Data ◽  
Instructional Behaviors ◽  
Specific Teaching ◽  
And Mathematics ◽  
The University

At the University of Maine, middle and high school science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) teachers observed 51 STEM courses across 13 different departments and collected information on the active-engagement nature of instruction. The results of these observations show that faculty members teaching STEM courses cannot simply be classified into two groups, traditional lecturers or instructors who teach in a highly interactive manner, but instead exhibit a continuum of instructional behaviors between these two classifications. In addition, the observation data reveal that student behavior differs greatly in classes with varied levels of lecture. Although faculty members who teach large-enrollment courses are more likely to lecture, we also identified instructors of several large courses using interactive teaching methods. Observed faculty members were also asked to complete a survey about how often they use specific teaching practices, and we find that faculty members are generally self-aware of their own practices. Taken together, these findings provide comprehensive information about the range of STEM teaching practices at a campus-wide level and how such information can be used to design targeted professional development for faculty.

scholarly journals Increasing Physics Teacher Production by Replicating the UTeach Preparation Model and Awarding Noyce Scholarships

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gregory R. Hale ◽  
Ramon E. Lopez ◽  
Ann M. L. Cavallo ◽  
Erin E. Gonzales
Keyword(s):  
Science Teacher ◽  
Student Teaching ◽  
Science Teachers ◽  
School Science ◽  
Teacher Preparation Program ◽  
High School Science ◽  
University Of Texas ◽  
Order Of Magnitude ◽  
And Mathematics ◽  
The University

In order to improve the production of physics teachers, and high school science teachers in general, at The University of Texas at Arlington, the authors obtained grant funding to offer National Science Foundation Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarships and to support a replication of the successful UTeach science and mathematics teacher preparation program. The Noyce grant was obtained first, and a modest increase in science teacher production was seen. The UTeach replication has been implemented on a four-year schedule, culminating in the establishment of a new student teaching program in January 2014. The combination of a UTeach replication and availability of Noyce Scholarships has UT Arlington poised to improve its science teacher production by an order of magnitude.

scholarly journals Ninth‐grade students' perceptions of the factors that led them to major in high school science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines

2019 ◽  
Vol 103 (5) ◽  
pp. 1176-1205 ◽  
Author(s):  
Avner Caspi ◽  
Paul Gorsky ◽  
Rakefet Nitzani‐Hendel ◽  
Zacharias Zacharia ◽  
Sherman Rosenfeld ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
School Science ◽  
Ninth Grade ◽  
High School Science ◽  
Science Technology ◽  
And Mathematics ◽  
Ninth Grade Students

scholarly journals A Campus-Wide Investigation of Clicker Implementation: The Status of Peer Discussion in STEM Classes

2016 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. ar6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Justin D. Lewin ◽  
Erin L. Vinson ◽  
MacKenzie R. Stetzer ◽  
Michelle K. Smith
Keyword(s):  
High School Teachers ◽  
Instructional Behaviors ◽  
Instructional Style ◽  
Science Technology ◽  
Peer Discussion ◽  
The Status ◽  
And Mathematics ◽  
The University ◽  
University Science ◽  
Targeted Professional Development

At the University of Maine, middle and high school teachers observed more than 250 university science, technology, engineering, and mathematics classes and collected information on the nature of instruction, including how clickers were being used. Comparisons of classes taught with (n = 80) and without (n = 184) clickers show that, while instructional behaviors differ, the use of clickers alone does not significantly impact the time instructors spend lecturing. One possible explanation stems from the observation of three distinct modes of clicker use: peer discussion, in which students had the opportunity to talk with one another during clicker questions; individual thinking, in which no peer discussion was observed; and alternative collaboration, in which students had time for discussion, but it was not paired with clicker questions. Investigation of these modes revealed differences in the range of behaviors, the amount of time instructors lecture, and how challenging the clicker questions were to answer. Because instructors can vary their instructional style from one clicker question to the next, we also explored differences in how individual instructors incorporated peer discussion during clicker questions. These findings provide new insights into the range of clicker implementation at a campus-wide level and how such findings can be used to inform targeted professional development for faculty.

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