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Reflective Pathways: Analysis of an Urban Science Teaching Field Experience on Noyce Scholar‐Science Education Awardees' Decisions to Teach Science in a High‐Need N ew Y ork City School
Author(s) -
Bischoff Paul,
French Paul,
Schaumloffel John
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
school science and mathematics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.135
H-Index - 2
eISSN - 1949-8594
pISSN - 0036-6803
DOI - 10.1111/ssm.12057
Subject(s) - internship , graduation (instrument) , science education , mathematics education , psychology , perception , sociology , medical education , pedagogy , engineering , medicine , mechanical engineering , neuroscience
Awardees of the N ational S cience F oundation's N oyce S cholars funds are required to teach science in high‐need urban or rural school districts upon graduation. The purpose of this research was to analyze the reflective considerations that distinguish preservice N oyce S cholar science education majors committed to teaching in high‐need N ew Y ork C ity ( NYC ) schools from those committed to high‐need rural careers. Essays designed to expose their ( n = 22) considerations of teaching in NYC written before, immediately after, and two weeks following a one‐week cultural and science teaching internship experience were coded to reveal distinguishing reflective thought patterns. The results showed that those (16/22) whose final essay showed commitment to NYC teaching viewed themselves positively as NYC teachers and that increases in positive self‐perceptions were paralleled by increases in affinity toward living in NYC and NYC schools. Those not inclined to NYC teaching (6/22) expressed increasingly negative views of themselves as NYC teachers, NYC life, and urban education generally. The research provides insights into what N oyce S cholar undergraduates in science education think about when considering a teaching career in urban school districts.