USA-Pathways to Science
Project Summary
The Pathways to Science program (PTS) II program is designed to train new Noyce Scholars as well as follow up on the scholars who were part of the first PTS project. The original PTS I project was designed to help fill the need for math and science teachers in the South Alabama region. The program trains teachers using the Alternative Master’s program to train second career candidates and those who already had degrees in Science related fields that wanted to become teachers. The program has used the alternative master’s approach so that the teachers that graduate have advanced work in science and an advanced certificate.
Project Goals & Impacts
The PTS II project has 5 goals
- Prepare a total of up to twelve additional science teachers who are highly qualified to teach chemistry, physics, biology, or general science by having them earn initial certification and a master’s degree in four semesters.
- Evaluate the effectiveness of creating a community of learners that provides ongoing mentoring and professional development.
- Evaluate the impact of PTS scholars on student achievement and use that data to strengthen the science teacher preparation program.
- Evaluate the self-efficacy of graduates by conducting a qualitative analysis of those who have persisted and not persisted as science teachers.
- Evaluate the effectiveness of graduates who teach in the MCPSS against graduates of our modified program as well as measure the effectiveness of PTS graduates against non-Noyce graduates in the MCPSS.
Project Leadership
P.I. - Dr. André M. Green, College of Education and Professional Studies
Co-P.I. – Dr. Susan Martin, College of Education and Professional Studies, Leadership & Teacher Education
Fund Source
National Science Foundation, Division of Undergraduate Education, Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program