MOREHOUSE COLLEGE DR K - 12 PRE-SERVICE STEM TEACHER INITIATIVE

GOALS AND PURPOSE

• To produce well-prepared students for careers in secondary science and math teaching
• To enhance the quality of instruction at Morehouse College
• To recruit and retain Black males into teacher preparation and secondary STEM teaching careers

The research questions will focus on the utility and efficacy of early recruitment of African American male students to STEM teaching careers as a mechanism to increase the number of African American males in STEM teaching careers. The research will explore possible reasons why the program is or isn't successful for recruiting and retaining students in STEM/STEM Teacher Education programs including:

• How do students who remain in STEM education differ from those who leave and how do these individual factors (e.g., student preparation, self-efficacies, course work outcomes, attitudes toward STEM/STEM education, connectivity to STEM/STEM education communities, learning styles, SES, etc.) affect (enhance or inhibit) interest in STEM teaching among African American males?
• What organizational and programmatic factors (e.g., high school summer program, Saturday Academy, Pre-freshman program, summer research experience, courses, enhanced mentoring, cyber infrastructure, college admissions guidance, leadership training, instructional laboratory, program management, faculty/staff engagement and availability, Atlanta Public Schools and Morehouse College articulation and partnership) affect (enhance or inhibit) interest in STEM teaching among African American males?

This full research and development project grant is "new strategies for helping pre-service teachers develop content and pedagogical knowledge and skills." This full research and development project grant addresses "how can we enhance the two cohorts (n=40 each) of promising eleventh grade STEM students will be recruited from the Atlanta Public School District to participate in a four-year program which will track them into the Teacher Preparation program at Morehouse College." This program will integrate STEM education with teacher preparation in order to develop secondary teachers who have mastery in both a STEM discipline as well as educational theory.

INTELLECTUAL MERIT

This program could have significant influence on the national educational agenda by providing empirical findings on the best approach to recruit and maintain Black male STEM students in careers as pre-college teachers. This program may evolve as a model to increase minority participation in STEM education by focusing on retention of promising minority science students using targeted recruitment, enhanced mentoring, research training, and community building.

BROADER IMPACTS

Morehouse College is an independent, fully accredited, historically Black, liberal arts college for men and is a founding member of the Atlanta University Center (the world's largest private center of Black higher education). The College is a pioneer in the preparation of young Black males to assume leadership in higher education, science, and government. We will continue (and intensify) efforts in these areas as well as aggressively address issues of pre-K-12 education of our nation's children in general and that of African American males in particular.

This proposal will broaden participation of K-12 and undergraduate minorities in STEM education by increasing African American male participation in STEM teaching. Dissemination will provide a model for improving minority participation in STEM education and may provide guidance to extend this model to improve overall retention rates. This program incorporates a strong leadership component and will develop these students into future pedagogical leaders who will not only teach classes but ultimately assume educational leadership roles.