Math, Science and Technology Teacher Preparation

ERC Evaluates Math, Science and Technology Teacher Prep Academies

The Education Research Center at Texas A&M University was awarded a grant from the Texas Higher Education Board (THECB) to conduct the program evaluation of an educator quality project: the Math, Science and Technology Teacher Preparation (MSTTP) Academies, funded by the THECB.

The purpose of the MSTTP Academies is to improve the instructional skills if certified teachers and to train students enrolled in undergraduate and master’s degree teacher preparation programs to perform at the highest levels in mathematics, science and technology. The goal of this program is to increase effective teaching by increasing the number of Texas teachers who are Master Teachers, or who have their Master’s of Education degree in mathematics, science, or technology. It is anticipated that academy participants will be better able to prepare students for college readiness in these fields upon high school graduation.

As part of the program evaluation, the ERC identified and classified best practices for teacher professional learning utilized by the academies. Strengths and weaknesses were compared among the academies and participants were surveyed to identify their perceptions of the academy in regards to improved content knowledge and pedagogical skills. A mixed-methods design utilizing triangulation was employed to analyze quantitative data, qualitative data and secondary data from a previous evaluation of the MSTTP academies.