National STEM Teacher Corps Pilot Program: Elevating K-8 Science and Engineering Teaching in Texas

About This Grant

“This National STEM Teacher Corps Pilot Program Regional Alliance project, "Elevating K-8 Science and Engineering Teaching in Texas," aims to recognize outstanding STEM educators in high-need schools that advance educational excellence in the Southern Region. This project aims to serve the national interest by enhancing the quality of science and engineering integration among K-8 teachers in Texas, leading to improved student learning in science and engineering. Within the United States, science education standards have shifted toward the integration of engineering across all grade levels. However, elementary and middle school teachers rarely receive formal preparation in engineering and science integration. There is a critical need for professional learning for Texas teachers of grades K-8 to support their effective integration of engineering in science instruction. To address this need, this project will recruit 20 expert teachers to be members of the Texas STEM Teacher Corps. These teachers will participate in professional learning sessions, facilitate professional learning opportunities for other Texas teachers, present at national conferences, and complete a capstone project to advance their professional goals. These efforts will improve their teaching practices, provide them with new leadership opportunities, and elevate the STEM teaching profession within the state of Texas. In addition, the project will extend professional learning opportunities to 80 non-Corps teachers. These teachers will be supported by the project team and Texas STEM Teacher Corps members to enhance the quality of their science and engineering integration. With both elementary and middle school teachers, approximately 12,000 students will experience immediate benefits as their teachers participate in project activities, plus countless additional students who will benefit in the coming years. This project will address three goals: (1) Enhance the quality of science and engineering integration among K-8 teachers in Texas; (2) Elevate Texas STEM Teacher Corps members professionally; (3) Advance understanding of science and engineering integration, STEM teacher leadership, and STEM teacher agency and retention. The project will utilize a longitudinal research design to answer the research questions: (1) How do engineering integration pedagogical content knowledge and teaching practices change among K-8 teachers participating in Texas STEM Teacher Corps professional learning opportunities?; (2) How do expert K-8 STEM teachers develop expertise in facilitating professional learning for other teachers?; (3) How does the professional learning experience relate to their intent to remain in teaching? Data sources include pre- and post-surveys, classroom observations, focus groups, interviews, professional learning artifacts, and student assessments and work artifacts. These findings can help inform professional learning design for science and engineering integration as well as the development of teacher leadership opportunities. In addition, the project will identify potential improvements in student learning outcomes related to their practices, knowledge, and interest in engineering. Work from this project will be disseminated through conference presentations and publications, and learning materials will be available free of charge online. An external evaluator will provide formative and summative feedback about the extent to which the project is meeting its goals. This Regional Alliance project is supported through the National STEM Teacher Corps Pilot Program. The NSF National STEM Teacher Corps Pilot Program supports outstanding STEM educators in high-need schools that advance educational excellence in our Nation’s preK-12 classrooms. 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.