The Uhd Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program
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From laboratory to classroom Dr Bradley Hoge coordinates the University of Houston-Downtown’s pioneering Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program. With the goal of encouraging more science graduates to go into teaching, the Program is an important step towards improving science education in Texas been cited. However, surveys of teachers through the Natural Sciences Department leaving the profession show that salary is not and teacher certification through the Urban ranked as the primary reason. They usually cite Education Department. The UHD-Noyce DR BRADLEY HOGE a lack of cooperation with parents and school Program accepts students from the SA who are administration in dealing with student discipline, in either their junior or senior years. and a lack of control in their own curriculum. Students fulfil their obligations Why was the UHD-Noyce Teacher to the Program by participating Scholarship Program created for UHD in teacher training activities College of Science and Technology Scholars and research both during Academy (SA) members? the academic year and the summer. During The UHD-Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program the academic year, was designed to be an integral part of the UHD students participate in College of Sciences and Technology SA. The SA classroom observations at one of programme at UHD has dramatically increased our collaborating middle or high retention and graduation rates for science schools, work with children on majors at UHD, most notably among minority specific experimental exercises How did you become involved in STEM and female students. In each graduating class, and prepare an academic topic education? the numbers of students entering science- in science during their two years related fields, especially graduate schools and participation in the Program. Prior to beginning my PhD, I earned a post- professional schools, has steadily increased. UHD-Noyce students also baccalaureate teaching certification at Louisiana take part in up to two State University and taught for three years. I was Prior to the UHD-Noyce Program, students science education looking for a career in which I could use my skills occasionally entered alternative teacher conferences. and experience in both science and education – certification programmes to pursue teaching. when I saw the advertisement for the Director of Many others mentioned teaching as a future Houston Urban Network for STEM (HUNSTEM) career goal on department exit interviews. position at the University of Houston-Downtown Given the variety of activities related to science (UHD), I felt that it was a perfect fit. education already in place in the Natural Sciences Department and the SA, the UHD-Noyce Program HUNSTEM is an online learning community provided a great opportunity to increase the within the Natural Sciences Department at Department’s effort to bring more accomplished UHD. It works with schools, STEM professionals, science students into teaching careers. informal science centres and community leaders to identify the best STEM education resources, Students selected for the Scholarship programmes and opportunities in the greater Program are required to serve for two years Houston area, and acts as a liaison between at an at-risk secondary school for every year the STEM learning community and students, of scholarship support after earning their parents and classroom teachers. BSc from UHD. What is expected of them and why is this compulsory? How extensive is the lack of STEM teachers and what has led to this situation? Statistics show that the quality of teaching in urban and underprivileged schools is lagging The Texas Business and Education Coalition behind more affluent areas. The National (TBEC) commissioned a report that shows the Science Foundation (NSF) built into the call majority of science teachers in the State of for proposals the requirement that teachers Texas are teaching with provisional certification funded through Noyce commit to teaching in and are not properly certified to teach high-needs schools. NSF’s focus was one of the science. Furthermore, the Texas Closing the reasons this funding opportunity was attractive Gaps initiative reported that science teacher to UHD since we serve this community already. certifications declined by 23 per cent from 2011 to 2012, continuing a trend in the state. Which groups/individuals is the Scholarship Program specifically aimed at and what does While numerous studies have tried to identify it provide? causes for this situation, no one explanation has emerged as a satisfactory answer to why it The UHD-Noyce Program provides US $8,000 is so difficult to recruit and retain good STEM scholarships for students, along with a $2,700 teachers. Teacher salaries, especially compared stipend for summer research activities. to STEM salaries in other sectors, have often Participants pursue both a science degree 42 INTERNATIONAL INNOVATION DR BRADLEY HOGE STEMing urban disadvantage To improve the quality of education in Texas, the University of Houston-Downtown has launched the innovative UHD-Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program to nurture a bold generation of science teachers through an engaging and interactive curriculum AFTER YEARS OF decline in science teacher TAKING RESEARCH TO THE CLASSROOM recruitment, the groundbreaking University of Houston-Downtown (UHD)-Noyce Teacher Students who receive the US $8,000 scholarship Scholarship Program stands set to better emerge from the Program with both a degree prepare science students for the world of from the Natural Sciences Department and a education. Scholarships are being provided to teaching qualification from the Urban Education 26 undergraduate science students at the UHD Department. An extra US $2,700 stipend ensures College of Science and Technology Scholars that the students are also able to carry out at Academy (SA) to prepare them for a career in least one semester of undergraduate research STEM education, and help urban schools in alongside their teacher training. The Program is desperate need of high-quality, free-thinking thus structured to provide participants with the teachers and support staff. tools they need to translate their experience as researchers into stimulating classroom material that will motivate and engage pupils. INSPIRING THE NEXT GENERATION Since its formation in 1999, the College of Over the course of their studies participants Science and Technology SA has received praise are encouraged to use their own research from across the State and the rest of the country knowledge and experience to create for its success in encouraging more minorities, materials for science lessons. For instance, females and first-generation college students undergraduate field research into wetland to undertake STEM degrees and pursue science- ecology has been subsequently adapted and based careers. The most recent initiative, developed by participants into interactive coordinated by Dr Bradley Hoge, Associate lessons for secondary school classrooms. This is Professor of Natural Science and Science facilitated by the fact that the Natural Sciences Education at UHD, brings together expertise from Department at UHD is home to both scientific both the Natural Sciences and Urban Education researchers and science education specialists. Departments at UHD, as well as middle schools “In this community of learners, the UHD-Noyce and high schools across the Aldine Independent Scholar benefits by participating as a ‘novice’ School District. The latter is an urban area of and learning first-hand about the challenges Houston where the majority of the population and rewards of teaching through participation are from minority ethnic backgrounds. in the classroom and in-depth discussions,” adds Hoge. Hoge believes that UHD science graduates are best suited to motivate school pupils in During their training, students also work with high-need areas: “Since many attended high- mentor teachers from associated middle and risk schools, they would most likely return to high schools to develop ways to make their these schools to teach,” he explains. Forming classes more hands-on and stimulating for part of the Houston Urban Network for STEM pupils. In term time they work with pupils and (HUNSTEM), the Program was therefore observe lessons while during the summer they designed to tackle three main areas of concern attend Teacher Enhancement Workshops, in science education in Houston. First, since which provide the opportunity for students the introduction of new standards requiring to collaborate with teachers to develop the pupils to study STEM subjects for four years, curriculum and make science learning more the need for highly qualified science teachers practical and engaging. Integrating research has increased. However, since recruitment and retention levels for science teachers have been UHD Noyce Scholar Claudia Turcios (far right) partici- falling for two years in a row, this became the pating in a workshop at the annual Noyce Conference in second focus area. This teacher deficit is most Washington DC, USA. keenly felt by high-need schools in urban areas, which generally have the largest proportion of pupils from minority communities, and as such the Network felt this should become the third area of investigation. This all serves to create specialists in their fields who can inspire young people to strive for careers in STEM subjects despite a disadvantaged background. WWW.RESEARCHMEDIA.EU 43 INTELLIGENCE THE UHD NOYCE TEACHER SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM topics into the curriculum not only