Coaching and Educating Mentors of Pre-Service Teacher and Chemistry Undergraduate Researchers

About This Grant

This Track 1 IUSE project aims to serve the national interest by improving research experiences for college students pursuing degrees in STEM fields and in math and science teacher preparation programs. Undergraduate research is widely recognized as important for the professional growth of STEM students by fostering authentic scientific inquiry, contributing to scientific knowledge, increasing integration into the scientific community, and improving retention in STEM academic pathways. Graduates who become teachers are positioned to pass on these benefits by educating, encouraging, and preparing their middle and high school students to pursue STEM majors and careers. The project includes the development of curricula for university research methods courses to strengthen student learning and research outcomes. It also features mentor workshops and coaching seminars to enhance teaching and mentoring for undergraduate research students. These resources are intended to be broadly shared with graduate students and faculty across college campuses. Ultimately, the project seeks to impact thousands of K-12 students, cultivating their interest in STEM and preparing them to enter STEM career pathways. This project pursues two primary goals: 1) to develop course curricula and professional activities that enhance learning and build confidence among undergraduate researchers in research methods courses and faculty laboratories, and 2) to design workshops that introduce graduate student mentors to effective teaching and mentoring practices. A set of instruments is employed to directly assess research products, measure mastery of research skills, and evaluate the instructional and mentoring approaches used by graduate students. This framework allows researchers to draw explicit connections between graduate students' teaching and mentoring practices and their mentees' understanding of research. For undergraduates who become teachers, it further links these practices to their future K-12 instructional methods and the impact on student learning. The resulting analysis supports the identification of effective evidence-based mentoring and teaching strategies that support the development of future educators and boost confidence in conducting scientific research. Findings from this work informs the design of research curricula, graduate student workshops, and coaching sessions aimed at strengthening undergraduate research experiences. The NSF IUSE: EDU Program supports research and development projects to improve the effectiveness of STEM education for all students. Through the Engaged Student Learning track, the program supports the creation, exploration, and implementation of promising practices and tools. 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.