CAREER: A Pragmatic, Iterative Approach to Advancing Evidence-Based Practices for Preparing and Developing K-12 Science Teachers

About This Grant

Improving STEM learning for all Americans depends on the preparation and development of science teachers who are equipped to translate research-based instructional strategies into meaningful classroom practice. This CAREER project addresses a crucial need in K-12 science teacher education to respond to local school district needs for high-quality science teaching and the role of teacher education programs, particularly at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) but also more broadly at other institutions that prepare STEM teachers, to develop programs that provide prospective teachers the best opportunity for success as science teachers. Specifically, the project aims to advance science teacher education by applying a pragmatic, iterative approach to developing teacher education program resources and tools that will support the implementation of evidence-based STEM teaching and learning practices in K-12 science classrooms. The project will identify evidence-based STEM teaching and learning practices through a systematic review of K-12 STEM education research and resources. Rather than generate new evidence, the project leverages the evidence that already exists to support educators in adapting and sustaining existing high-quality practices that have already demonstrated positive impacts on students' STEM learning. Through close collaboration with teacher candidates, practicing science teachers, and teacher educators, the project will build capacity for instructional improvement in ways that are responsive to local contexts while aligned with national priorities in science education. The project's long-term goal is to increase the effectiveness and coherence of science teacher preparation programs at HBCUs and more broadly in other teacher preparation program contexts, thereby contributing to future science teacher effectiveness and K-12 students' greater achievement in STEM. This five-year CAREER project involves two primary activities carried out across two phases. Phase 1 involves conducting a systematic review of K-12 STEM teaching and learning research and resources to identify and interpret evidence-based K-12 STEM teaching and learning practices. The findings from the review will result in a preliminary framework of evidence-based K-12 STEM teaching and learning practices to inform science teacher education at HBCUs as well as other institution types. Phase 2 involves Participatory Action Research in which pre-service teachers, in-service science teachers, and teacher preparation faculty work collaboratively to refine the framework and develop an observation tool that will help pre-service teachers and their mentors more effectively prepare and use feedback about their science and STEM teaching. Using a continuous improvement framework, participants will collaboratively implement, adapt, and refine vetted science education practices evidenced in the preliminary framework developed during Phase 1 of the study. Guided by a pragmatic theoretical framework, the project will support iterative Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles that allow educators to identify implementation barriers, evaluate instructional impact, and adjust strategies based on local classroom contexts and realities. The project emphasizes formative assessment, reflective inquiry, and collaborative sense-making as mechanisms to support sustainable instructional change. By grounding science teacher development in well-established evidence while allowing for localized adaptation and continuous feedback, the project will yield adaptable models, tools, and insights that can inform science teacher education nationally. Ultimately, this work supports improving STEM learning for all Americans by equipping educators with the knowledge, flexibility, and confidence to use research-based practices effectively in their own classrooms. The Discovery Research preK-12 program (DRK-12) is an applied research program that seeks to significantly enhance the learning and teaching of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) by preK-12 students and teachers. Projects in the DRK-12 program build on fundamental research in STEM education and prior research and development efforts that provide theoretical and empirical justification for funded projects. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.