Professional Development for Rural STEM Teachers on Data Science and Cybersecurity: A University and School Districts' Partnership

Autor/inn/en	Maina, Faith; Smit, Julie; Serwadda, Abdul
Titel	Professional Development for Rural STEM Teachers on Data Science and Cybersecurity: A University and School Districts' Partnership
Quelle	In: Australian and International Journal of Rural Education, 31 (2021) 1, S.30-41 (12 Seiten) PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Zusatzinformation	ORCID (Maina, Faith) ORCID (Smit, Julie)
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1839-7387
Schlagwörter	Faculty Development; Summer Programs; STEM Education; Rural Schools; College School Cooperation; Computer Security; Information Security; Middle School Teachers; High School Teachers; Knowledge Level; Professional Isolation; Partnerships in Education; Data; Interdisciplinary Approach; Pedagogical Content Knowledge; College Faculty; Graduate Students; Scientists; Teacher Collaboration; Barriers; Texas + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Sommerkurs; STEM; Rural area; Rural areas; School; Schools; Ländlicher Raum; Schule; Schulen; Computervirus; Computersicherheit; Middle school; Middle schools; Teacher; Teachers; Mittelschule; Mittelstufenschule; Lehrer; Lehrerin; Lehrende; High school; High schools; Oberschule; Wissensbasis; Hochschulpartnerschaft; Daten; Fächerübergreifender Unterricht; Fächerverbindender Unterricht; Interdisziplinarität; Pädagogische Kompetenz; Fakultät; Graduate Study; Student; Students; Aufbaustudium; Graduiertenstudium; Hauptstudium; Studentin; Scientist; Wissenschaftler; Lehrerkooperation
Abstract	The research experience for teachers (RET) professional development was a six-week long summer-intensive National Science Foundation (NSF) funded project that took place at a large university in western Texas. It was designed to provide a research-rich learning environment in data science and cybersecurity for STEM teachers in the region, which is mainly rural. Due to geographical isolation, rural teachers lack resources to prepare their middle and high school students for STEM careers and often find it difficult to bring innovative science teaching into their classrooms. The team was comprised of nine teachers, five professors, and six graduate students. We utilized discourse analysis within the situated perspective to examine teacher reflections and artifacts to discover how they assimilated disciplinary knowledge of data science and its application to cybersecurity and how they transferred this knowledge into their middle and high school curriculum. We found the teachers acquired this knowledge by gradually developing a scientist persona. They also acquired sophisticated pedagogical knowledge to integrate complex concepts into their middle and high school STEM curriculum without sacrificing the state standards, while creating a community of learners. This led to reduced feelings of isolation often experienced by rural teachers. It is clear that partnerships between universities and rural school districts can transform the way STEM disciplines are delivered, creating a strong pipeline for rural students in the STEM workforce. (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	Society for the Provision of Education in Rural Australia. P.O. Box 659, Wembly, Western Australia 6913. Tel: +08-9285-0626; e-mail: admin@spera.asn.au; Web site: http://www.spera.asn.au/
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2024/1/01