Filling Positions or Forging New Pathways? Scholarship Incentives and STEM Teacher Recruitment and Retention

• In Event: Professional Fit of Multiple Routes to Teaching: STEM and Urban Settings

Abstract

In recent years, some programs have worked to increase the number of STEM teachers in high-need areas by offering scholarships in exchange for an agreement to teach in a high-need school. However, some have argued that because scholarship recipients might only fulfill the terms of their agreement then leave, programs need to insure prior commitment to high-need areas. This qualitative study of science and math teachers who received scholarships suggest that while some aspects of commitment are stable over time, others are contingent upon social interactions within schools. The variability in outcomes suggest that while it is helpful to recruit teachers already committed to high-need areas, there are also benefits to incentives that can facilitate new experiences, identities, and commitments.

Author

• Stacy I. Olitsky, Saint Joseph's University