Recruitment of Science and Mathematics Teachers: Review of Literature and Analysis of Findings From Three Years Efforts of A Recruitment

Abstract

Across the US, many school districts are finding increasing difficulties to fill the ranks of their science and mathematics teaching staff with highly qualified teachers. To alleviate the problem, several national policies, such as the No Child Left Behind Act and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, have been enacted to improve the quality of education while reducing teacher shortages. Consequently, many agencies, such as the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Dept. of Education, and the U.S. Dept. of Energy, to name a few, have awarded large grants to universities and other organizations to implement math and science teacher recruitment programs and prepare them to deliver high quality instruction. These programs vary in terms of their target populations (high school students, undergraduates, graduates, or career changers), the type and frequency of the early teaching experience provided, the academic and financial support systems, and the public relations campaigns regarding the rewarding aspects of becoming a science or mathematics teacher. Given the urgency of the national math and science teacher shortage and the high cost of these programs, examining their impact is critical. In this paper, we present findings from three years efforts of a science and mathematics teachers recruitment program to start mapping the landscape of teacher recruitment. Our discussion and implications suggest that… program’s focus was on recruiting students at all career levels (direct from high school, transfer from community college, change of major, and career changers).

An Ecological Restoration Experiment on a High School Campus

“…Many FS graduates seek postsecondary degrees in ecology or environmental science and several have returned as guest scientists to inspire the next generation of high school students. Recruitment of future K-12 teachers is also a crucial issue (Demir et al, 2019). We hope that some of our students may be inspired by the prairie-student experience to explore teaching as a career.…”

Impact of a mathematics early teaching experience for undergraduates: A teacher preparation recruitment strategy

“…Several studies have explored the use of internships or early field experiences for recruitment into science and/or mathematics teacher preparation programs (e.g., Borgerding, 2015;Demir et al, 2019;Nguyen et al, 2022;Wong-Ratcliff & Mundy, 2019). The most effective recruitment programs incorporated:…”

“…When given an early teaching experience, whether for undeclared majors (Shulman & Armitage, 2005), science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) majors (Bush et al, 2022;Cook et al, 2022;Moin et al, 2005), or students interested in education (Romm et al, 2010;Watson et al, 2011), the individual can more aptly reflect on a career in teaching. Experiencing the rewards of teaching has been shown to be a strong factor informing the choice to pursue teaching credentials (Demir et al, 2019). Moreover, individuals who have had authentic teaching experiences are less likely to leave teaching within the first five years (AACTE, 2013;Huling, 1998), probably because their conceptions of the challenges and realities of the job are informed from their prior experiences.…”

“…Some successful recruiting initiatives point to teaching-like experiences or "third-spaces" (e.g., Bush et al, 2022;Cooper & Nesmith, 2013;Gutierrez, 2008;Hammond, 2002;Shulman & Armitage, 2005), where individuals can practice teaching without formal evaluation and pre-established classroom norms, allowing them autonomy to make decisions about best practices for teaching content, motivating learners, managing the classroom, and meeting students' needs. Several studies found that firsthand experiences with teaching, no matter how informal, served as positive influences in the decision to become a teacher (Demir et al, 2019;Shulman & Armitage, 2005). For example, Watson et al (2011) found that prospective teachers felt more confident after they designed and taught science lessons to children at the UTC Challenger Center, an example of a third-space.…”