{"678461":{"#nid":"678461","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Researchers Receive NSF-Micron Grant to Enhance STEM Training for Pre-Service Teachers  ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech researchers \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ceismc.gatech.edu\/about\/staffdirectory\/meltem-alemdar\u0022\u003EMeltem Alemdar\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ceismc.gatech.edu\/about\/staffdirectory\/heidi-turcotte\u0022\u003EHeidi Turcotte\u003C\/a\u003E from the College of Lifetime Learning, along with \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/people\/emily-weigel\u0022\u003EEmily Weigel\u003C\/a\u003E from the College of Sciences, have been awarded a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant (\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nsf.gov\/awardsearch\/showAward?AWD_ID=2345019\u0026amp;HistoricalAwards=false\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EAward #2345019\u003C\/a\u003E). They will develop and implement a university-based summer program called Research Experiences for Pre-Service Teachers (REPST), recruiting participants from partner institutions Clayton State University and Mercer University. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETheir project is one of four funded by a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/new.nsf.gov\/news\/nsf-micron-invest-stem-teacher-training-support-future\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Enew partnership\u003C\/a\u003E between NSF and the Micron Foundation, aimed at advancing STEM education training for both pre-service and in-service teachers.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cParticipation in STEM research experiences has shown to improve teachers\u2019 STEM knowledge and experience, scientific research practices, career awareness, and STEM efficacy and identity, which in turn leads to persistence in teaching and teacher retention,\u201d said Alemdar, a principal research scientist and director of educational research and evaluation in the Center for Education Integrating Science, Mathematics, and Computing (CEISMC).\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe three-year, $749,749 grant is awarded through NSF\u2019s Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program. For over 20 years, the Noyce program has supported the recruitment, preparation, and retention of STEM K-12 teachers in high-need and under-resourced school districts.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAccording to Alemdar, who serves as the principal investigator for the project, many teacher preparation programs lack the funding and research labs necessary to provide these immersive experiences to their teacher candidates. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOur goal is to develop a sustainable model that pairs pre-service teachers with both researchers and mentors during six weeks through our REPST program,\u201d she explained. \u201cFor example, veteran teachers will be the primary support, assisting with lesson plan development and ensuring the effective transfer of these plans to the classroom when the participants become student teachers the next academic year following their summer experiences.\u201d \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe research team plans to recruit up to 30 pre-service teachers over the duration of the grant through the efforts of co-principal investigators \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/facultyprofiles.clayton.edu\/faculty\/rdavis73\u0022\u003EMesa Davis\u003C\/a\u003E, assistant professor and director of field experiences in the School of Education at Clayton State and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/education.mercer.edu\/faculty-and-staff\/lucy-bush\/\u0022\u003ELucy Bush\u003C\/a\u003E, professor of teacher education and associate dean of graduate academic affairs in the Tift College of Education at Mercer. They will serve as faculty leads to ensure the REPST program meets the needs of teacher candidates through program development and recruitment strategies. \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe REPST program, which will take place at Georgia Tech, is modeled after CEISMC\u2019s Georgia Intern-Fellowships for Teachers (GIFT) program. Since 1991, GIFT has collaborated with university researchers, business and community leaders and local K-12 schools to provide more than 2,200 classroom teachers statewide with hands-on experience in STEM.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cGIFT teachers improve their craft by integrating internship experiences into lesson plans, mastering pedagogy, and understanding how scientists and engineers solve problems,\u201d explained Turcotte, who serves as a co-principal investigator for the grant and is the current GIFT director. \u201cWith REPST, we aim to engage teachers early, supplementing their preparation programs to build a strong STEM foundation, ensuring they become effective educators from the start.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETurcotte has also worked with Georgia Tech faculty to help support broader impacts and outreach initiatives for K-12 programs in her role as program director for CEISMC\u2019s campus and community coordination. In fact, faculty have consistently included GIFT as part of their broader impact statements on research grant proposals.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne of the main objectives of REPST is to establish a robust mentoring infrastructure involving Georgia Tech faculty, graduate students, post-doctoral researchers, and veteran in-service teachers. These mentors will play crucial roles in supporting the participants during the summer experience as well as continued interactions through their school-year student teaching.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOver the last 20 years or so, we\u2019ve been emphasizing less content and more practices of science. It\u2019s challenging to guide others through these practices if you haven\u2019t engaged in them yourself,\u201d said Weigel, a senior academic professional and a co-principal investigator for the grant.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs internship director within the School of Biological Sciences, Weigel has seen firsthand how on-the-job learning experiences can make a significant impact. She has successfully placed and evaluated over 60 biology undergraduate students at internship sites, including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe would like to have the same impact through the REPST program by providing authentic experiences in scientific practices,\u201d she said. \u201cWhen you\u2019re well-versed in these practices, you can effectively teach your students, identify potential trouble spots, and significantly enhance your teaching capabilities through your own authentic experiences.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe research team has secured support for internship placements in Georgia Tech labs for the pilot summer in 2025, thanks to many faculty members\u2019 familiarity with the GIFT program and their experience hosting teachers. In addition to Weigel, faculty from the College of Sciences and the College of Engineering, all of whom had been previous GIFT mentors, have pledged to participate in the REPST program. The list includes:\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/people\/will-ratcliff\u0022\u003EWilliam Ratcliff\u003C\/a\u003E, School of Biological Sciences, evolution of multicellular organisms;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/lily-cheung\u0022\u003ELily Cheung\u003C\/a\u003E, School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, plant engineering;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ce.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/hermann-m-fritz\u0022\u003EHermann Fritz\u003C\/a\u003E, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, fluid dynamics of natural hazards; and\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ce.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/xing-xie\u0022\u003EXing Xie\u003C\/a\u003E, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, environmental engineering.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECEISMC Research Associate \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ceismc.gatech.edu\/about\/staffdirectory\/katherine-boice-king\u0022\u003EKatie Boice King\u003C\/a\u003E rounds out the research team, serving as the program evaluator to assess the feasibility and scalability of the program and its impact on pre-service teachers\u2019 self-efficacy and STEM identity development.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u2014\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJo\u00eblle Walls, CEISMC Communications\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech researchers Meltem Alemdar and Heidi Turcotte from the College of Lifetime Learning, along with Emily Weigel from the College of Sciences, have been awarded a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant (\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nsf.gov\/awardsearch\/showAward?AWD_ID=2345019\u0026amp;HistoricalAwards=false\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EAward #2345019\u003C\/a\u003E). They will develop and implement a university-based summer program called Research Experiences for Pre-Service Teachers (REPST), recruiting participants from partner institutions Clayton State University and Mercer University. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech researchers Meltem Alemdar and Heidi Turcotte from the College of Lifetime Learning, along with Emily Weigel from the College of Sciences, have been awarded a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant (Award #2345019). "}],"uid":"36247","created_gmt":"2024-11-15 17:31:33","changed_gmt":"2025-08-06 22:22:35","author":"jwalls37","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2024-11-15T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2024-11-15T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"675649":{"id":"675649","type":"image","title":"Georgia Tech collaborates with Clayton State University and Mercer University on new NSF-Micron-funded research project.","body":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech collaborates with Clayton State University and Mercer University on new NSF-Micron-funded research project.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1731695274","gmt_created":"2024-11-15 18:27:54","changed":"1731695363","gmt_changed":"2024-11-15 18:29:23","alt":"Georgia Tech collaborates with Clayton State University and Mercer University on new NSF-Micron-funded research project.","file":{"fid":"259297","name":"NSF-Micron-grant.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/11\/15\/NSF-Micron-grant.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/11\/15\/NSF-Micron-grant.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":392910,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/11\/15\/NSF-Micron-grant.jpg?itok=j27d_ePH"}}},"media_ids":["675649"],"groups":[{"id":"361651","name":"Center for Education Integrating Science, Mathematics and Computing (CEISMC)"},{"id":"598218","name":"K-12 Connection"},{"id":"660375","name":"Lifetime Learning"}],"categories":[{"id":"42911","name":"Education"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"411","name":"CEISMC"},{"id":"4896","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"193940","name":"college of lifetime learning"},{"id":"192019","name":"K-12 education STEM research"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":["joelle.walls@ceismc.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}