Creating partnerships between teachers & undergraduates interested in secondary math & science education

Highlights

• Undergraduates and teachers formed partnerships during yearlong program.

• Participation in these partnerships was sustained but flexible over time.

• Participants shared and were viewed as resources within the partnerships.

• Engagement in partnerships was transformative for undergraduates and teachers.

• Participants viewed their involvement in partnerships as beneficial.

Abstract

During a yearlong program experience, high school teachers and college undergraduates formed three content area partnerships in which they co-planned and implemented lessons aligned to newly adopted math and science content standards. Participants’ within-program experiences and the mentorship that occurred in their developing content area partnerships were explored. Findings suggested that both the high school teachers and undergraduates engaged in mentoring relationships that prompted two-way reflection and colearning. The content area partnerships formed were sustained yet flexible, represented accountability through shared goals, exhibited mutual and equitable sharing, and were transformative as evidenced by practice and identity.

Introduction

This study explores mentoring relationships within a program designed to connect undergraduates interested in math and science education with practicing high school teachers; together they engaged in content area research and discussed curriculum. In California, where this study took place, math and science teachers are in the midst of curricular change brought forth by the state’s adoption of the Common Core State Standards Mathematics (National Governors Association Center for Best Practices, Council of Chief State School Officers, 2010) and the Next Generation Science Standards ([NGSS], NGSS Lead States, 2013). Associated frameworks advocate for the use of mentoring to help teachers understand the shifts in practice called for by these new standards (California Department of Education, 2015, National Research Council, 2012).

The program we investigated was designed to: (1) give all participants experience planning, implementing, and reflecting on curricular materials aligned with the newly adopted state standards; (2) provide high school teachers with classroom support as they enacted new lessons; and (3) provide undergraduates an authentic context in which to learn about the teaching profession prior to enrolling in a teacher education program. Participants attended 102 h of program activities consisting of a two-week summer institute and three full-day follow-up sessions during the academic year. The undergraduates also completed 60 h of fieldwork in the teachers’ classrooms during the academic year. With respect to the undergraduate program experience, similar courses and programs have been conducted to stimulate recruitment and teaching interest among math and science undergraduates (Luft et al., 2005, Otero et al., 2006) and graduates (Abell et al., 2006).

Guided by the view that learning occurs within communities of practice (Wenger, 1998), we asked: What is the nature of content area partnerships formed between undergraduates and high school teachers participating in a program focused on math and science education? Through this work, we attempt to demonstrate how mentoring through the content area partnerships shaped teachers’ and undergraduates’ views on mathematics and science education.