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Abstract Title: College faculty support for grade 7-12 teaching careers: survey results and comparisons to student perceptions
Abstract: The United States is facing a critical shortage of grade 7-12 teachers in the STEM disciplines, particularly in physics, chemistry, and mathematics. Faculty members play a major role in their students' career choices, and faculty members' perceptions of the profession may determine whether students choose to pursue teaching. To this end, we developed two surveys to measure student and faculty perceptions of grade 7-12 teaching. We found that both groups hold many incorrect beliefs about teaching careers. Furthermore, we found that faculty members believe they are quite supportive of future teachers, while students perceive that they are less supportive. Our findings highlight the need for both faculty members and students to be informed about the benefits of careers in grade 7-12 teaching. Additionally, our results suggest that faculty members should work to dispel their internal biases surrounding the teaching profession, which may inadvertently drive students away from grade 7-12 teaching.
Abstract Type: Contributed Poster Presentation
Session Time: Poster Session III
Poster Number: 3.E5
Contributed Paper Record: Contributed Paper Information
Contributed Paper Download: Download Contributed Paper

Author/Organizer Information

Primary Contact: Savannah L. Logan
Colorado School of Mines
Golden, CO 80401
Phone: 4065293034
Co-Author(s)
and Co-Presenter(s)
Jared B. Breakall, Department of Physics, Colorado School of Mines, 1500 Illinois Street, Golden, CO 80401

Richard L. Pearson III, Physical Sciences Department, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, 1 Aerospace Boulevard, Daytona Beach, FL 32114

Wendy K. Adams, Department of Physics, Colorado School of Mines, 1500 Illinois Street, Golden, CO 80401