Creating Community Through the Noyce Buddy Program With Novice STEM Teachers

• In Event: Division K Section 7: STEM Roundtable

Abstract

There is a great need to recruit and retain STEM teachers in the P-12 education system (Craig, 2017; Ingersoll & Strong, 2011). In an effort to address this, the Noyce Scholarship Program seeks to increase the number of K-12 teachers who teach in high-needs school districts (American Association for the Advancement of Science, 2020). In this qualitative study, the researchers created the Noyce Buddy Program to connect 41 Noyce Scholars and novice STEM teachers in high-needs schools across the southeastern United States region. An open-response survey was administered in Qualtrics, with 19 of the 41 participants completing the survey, providing a 47.5% response rate. Results displayed that novice STEM teachers experience a great deal of challenges and successes.

Authors

• Sarah (Katie) K. Guffey, University of South Alabama

• Susan Ferguson, University of South Alabama

• André M. Green, University of South Alabama