More than half of U.S. states report a shortage of STEM educators — particularly in high-need districts, according to the Department of Education.How can we address the deficit and better prepare teachers for classroom challenges like access, proficiency, literacy and more?
Teachers College Building
(Photo courtesy of Riccio.)
Jessica Riccio (Ed.D. ’08, M.Ed. ’02, M.A. ’99), Senior Lecturer in TC’s Mathematics, Science and Technology department, is working to close the gap. Supported by a National Science Foundation grant, she’s partnering with leaders of teacher preparation programs across seven U.S. higher education institutions to explore practical solutions for pre-service teachers through research and video-based analysis to improve teacher preparation and retention.
“In the STEM discipline, there have been cycles of privilege that have barricaded access for all learners to express their talent and innovative spirit,” Riccio shares. “Preparing teachers in places where these shortages persist works to deconstruct the idea that STEM is not for everyone but rather a web of connection for how we live and navigate the world for future generations.”
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Our vision in Peabody College’s Secondary Education program at Vanderbilt University is to prepare teachers to teach toward a more just society. We are excited for the opportunity to collaborate with Columbia and five other institutions to develop our commitment to work toward educational equity and access within experiences for our teacher candidates while they are in the program, as well as developing supports to sustain this focus through their early induction years. We know this work will impact retention in STEM teaching and we look forward to learning from all of our teacher candidates within and across programs.
Heather J. Johnson, Ph.D. – Professor of the Practice of Science Education, Director of Secondary Education, Principal Investigator of Recruitment & Preparation of Next Gen STEM Teachers, Vanderbilt PI for Equitable Science Sensemaking, Peabody College at Vanderbilt University
I’m excited to be involved a collaborative project across universities and states that has the potential to advance STEM teachers’ learning in impactful ways. We are committed to helping our future teachers enrolled in teacher education programs become well-started beginners who create learning spaces that respect and empower all learners and support communities towards building a more just world throughout their long careers.
Anna Maria Arias, Ph.D. – Associate Professor of Elementary Science Education, Kennesaw State University
In sports, athletes talk about the game ‘slowing down for them,’ which helps them perform to their maximum capabilities; in this project, we want to help pre- and early in-service teachers learn how to slow the classroom down by knowing what to pay attention to, how to make sense of those things, and how to make decisions based on that logic. We want to support the development of these capacities in a way that ensures that all students have an equal likelihood of being successful in those teachers’ classrooms.
Brett Criswell – Associate Professor, West Chester University
I’ve been proud to work with Dr. Riccio and colleagues for years as we explore ways to help our science teacher candidates develop into knowledgeable, capable and caring educators for K-12 students across the country. With the support of this NSF award, I’m excited to dig deeper into how video-based analysis of classroom teaching can help our candidates develop a professional vision for equitable science teaching.
Joshua A. Ellis, Ph.D. – Past President, Southeastern Association for Science Teacher Education, Co-Director, GeauxTeach STEM, Associate Professor of Science/STEM Education, Louisiana State University
I’m excited to work on this NSF collaborative research project with my colleagues, which will enable my secondary science teaching majors here at the University of Northern Iowa to be introduced to video-based analysis of classroom teaching and equitable science teaching practices. I hope that video-based examinations in communities of practice will enable students to be more effective in their teaching practices and remain in their teaching positions for longer.
Lawrence Escalada – Director of Science Education, Professor of Physics and Science Education, University of Northern Iowa
Many preservice elementary teachers doubt their ability to effectively teach STEM in a way that will engage and excite their students because they have never experienced high-quality science instruction as elementary students. This research directly supports future teachers in developing a new vision for what is possible in their future science classrooms. It equips them with the knowledge, practice, and self-confidence to bring that vision to life as they work with students. With preparation, these teachers can break the cycle in elementary science education so that their students will experience success in science instead of science scars.
Michelle “Shelly” Forsythe – Associate Chair and Associate Professor of STEM Education, Texas State University
Evaluating the Current Landscape
Drawing on her experience working in a high-needs, public school classroom while concurrently enrolled in TC’s Science Education program, Riccio quickly learned that information sharing and peer support were key in addressing her own classroom barriers. “My students, especially in STEM, had such rich ideas, yet what was masking their capability was their literacy abilities.”
She turned to experts in the field like Dolores Perin, Professor Emerita of Psychology and Education, to help inform her teaching strategies. “We began to do things a bit differently using inquiry-based practice, and students began to show improvement quickly. As a first-year teacher, 100 percent of my students passed the Regents exam. I credit that with the strategies that I learned at TC.”
(Pictured left to right: Joshua Ellis (LSU), Larry Escalada (UNI), Heather Johnson (Vanderbilt), Shelly Forsythe (Texas State), Anna Arias (Kennesaw State), Jess Riccio (TC), Brett Criswell (Westchester).
The project aims to leverage a similar peer support model and video analysis to address common challenges faced by STEM educators, such as access, equity, and literacy proficiency, regardless of their location. “Teachers in Iowa are reporting the same classroom struggles as those in Harlem. It’s about communication. With video analysis, teachers can observe themselves in real-time and receive helpful feedback along the way.”
Pre-service teachers from all seven institutions will be monitored from their first to third years in the classroom, with weekly constructive feedback sessions from peers and experts to enhance their STEM teaching methods. “We want our teachers across the country to see, not with a deficit lens, but with an affirmative lens. It’s our job as educators to facilitate their ability to learn in a way that’s the best for them.”
Leading the Way
Ultimately, Riccio hopes the project will produce new insights about preparation and teacher retention. “This project has the promise of developing a model that will cultivate equitable, noticing skills among STEM teacher candidates that could be adapted by other teacher preparation programs in the future.”
The collaborative initiative aims to create a lasting learning community so teachers can remain connected and receive lifelong support. “Some teachers are the only ones in their district teaching STEM. We want teachers to know that it’s not all on their shoulders — that you’re a part of a community of practice.”
Riccio credits Teachers College’s interdisciplinary nature for fueling her inspiration.
“Teachers College has always been a leader in STEM education. We aim to prepare teachers for the most challenging of settings so that they can have the most effective yet rewarding career journey possible. The impact will be profound if we translate that work across institutions.”
— Jacqueline Teschon
Published Tuesday, Sep 24, 2024