Learning After You Know It All: When STEM Faculty Teach Teachers, Who Learns?

• Published in: Change (New Rochelle, N.Y.) Vol. 42; no. 3; pp. 24 - 28
• Main Authors: Zhang, Xiaodong, McInerney, Joseph, Frechtling, Joy
• Format: Magazine Article
• Language: English
• Published: Philadelphia Taylor & Francis Group 01-05-2010; Heldref Publications; Taylor & Francis Inc
• Subjects: Attitudes; Case studies; Collaboration; College Faculty; College mathematics; College School Cooperation; Department Heads; Education; Educational research; Engineering Education; Faculty Development; Higher education; Inservice Teacher Education; Knowledge; Learning; Learning Experience; Mathematical knowledge; Mathematics Education; Mathematics teachers; Partnerships in Education; Pedagogy; Professional Development; R&D; Research & development; School districts; Science Education; Science teachers; STEM education; Students; Studies; Teacher Attitudes; Teachers; Teaching; Technology Education; Tenure; Universities
• ISSN: 0009-1383; 1939-9146
• DOI: 10.1080/00091381003730185

The National Science Foundation (NSF) Math and Science Partnership (MSP) program is a major research and development effort to improve K-12 student achievement in mathematics and science. The substantial engagement of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplinary faculty with school-teachers is a hallmark of the MSP program. The MSP emphasis on the special knowledge and skills of STEM faculty in working with teachers represents a change in business as usual. To underscore the importance of STEM faculty involvement in teacher professional development, NSF mandates that every MSP principal investigator be a disciplinary faculty member. With support from an NSF grant, the authors tested a central MSP assumption: that disciplinary faculty have the knowledge that schoolteachers need. This assumption was examined to determine how STEM faculty members were engaged in MSP and if their involvement enhanced teacher quality and increased student achievement. This article primarily focuses on the effects of STEM faculty engagement on teachers and faculty. (Contains 6 resources.)