| dc.description.abstract | Staffing high schools with highly qualified mathematics and science teachers continues to
be a challenge for school districts across the U.S. One way to address this challenge is to offer
financial incentives, in the form of scholarships or grants, for high performing college students to
become high school mathematics or science teachers. It is not clear, however, the effects these
types of scholarship programs have on the recruitment, retention, and classroom contexts of the
students who receive the scholarships. More research in this area is needed.
One of the most well-known scholarship programs for prospective mathematics and
science teachers is The Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program (Noyce Program). This
dissertation contains three studies that examine the effects a Noyce Program had on a group of
Robert Noyce Scholarship recipients. More specifically, the studies investigate (a) the
perceptions of STEM teaching and decisions participants made regarding STEM teaching, (b)
the influence of the Noyce Program on the Scholars’ decisions to teach in high-need schools,
stay in high-need schools, and the effects of the program on the Scholars themselves, and (c) the
interactions and behaviors observed in participants’ classrooms as well as their overall classroom
contexts.
Sixty-one participants were recruited (29 experimental group, 32 control group) for the
three-year longitudinal, quasi-experimental study. Quantitative and qualitative data were
collected via annual surveys, bi-annual classroom observations, and annual telephone interviews.
Descriptive statistics, exploratory factor analysis, and statistical methods for comparing means
were used to analyze the quantitative data. A modified version of Burnard’s (1991) general
inductive approach was used for qualitative data analysis.
Findings indicate some statistically significant differences between groups in a number of
areas and researchers found the Noyce Program had positive effects on the Noyce Scholars’
financial status, overall sense of well-being, and opportunities for professional development.
Further findings indicate the scholarship had little influence on their decisions to become a
teacher or stay in a high-need school setting. | en |
