The Influence of the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program on Undergraduates' Teaching Plans

Location

Hamilton B

Proposal Track

Research Project

Session Format

Presentation

Abstract

The Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program offers academic and financial support for students pursuing secondary teaching certificates in STEM fields. In return, students commit to teaching in high-need K-12 school districts. In this completed research study, we examined factors that influence Noyce Scholars in their decisions about STEM as a major and teaching as a possible career. Through a thematic analysis of nine scholarship applications and a questionnaire, two participants at different stages in the program were selected to participate in a case study: (1) a former scholarship recipient who had graduated and was teaching, and (2) a second-year recipient enrolled in a teacher preparation program. Data were collected from these two participants through scholarship applications, questionnaires and a 45-minute interview. Findings indicated that informal or formal teaching experiences and socialization influences were highly motivating factors in participants’ decision to major in a STEM field and to pursue teaching as a career. The Noyce Scholarship was not a major factor in their decision to teach. These findings may have implications for optimizing scholarship programs to strengthen recruitment and retention in STEM teaching careers.

Keywords

Noyce scholarship, teaching career choices, teaching motives, STEM

This document is currently not available here.

Share

COinS
 
Oct 7th, 9:00 AM Oct 7th, 10:15 AM

The Influence of the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program on Undergraduates' Teaching Plans

Hamilton B

The Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program offers academic and financial support for students pursuing secondary teaching certificates in STEM fields. In return, students commit to teaching in high-need K-12 school districts. In this completed research study, we examined factors that influence Noyce Scholars in their decisions about STEM as a major and teaching as a possible career. Through a thematic analysis of nine scholarship applications and a questionnaire, two participants at different stages in the program were selected to participate in a case study: (1) a former scholarship recipient who had graduated and was teaching, and (2) a second-year recipient enrolled in a teacher preparation program. Data were collected from these two participants through scholarship applications, questionnaires and a 45-minute interview. Findings indicated that informal or formal teaching experiences and socialization influences were highly motivating factors in participants’ decision to major in a STEM field and to pursue teaching as a career. The Noyce Scholarship was not a major factor in their decision to teach. These findings may have implications for optimizing scholarship programs to strengthen recruitment and retention in STEM teaching careers.