Top > Professional Development > A request to participate in a study
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Greetings!
My name is Kandy Noles Stevens, a doctoral student at the University of South Dakota, and a veteran educator with 28 years of teaching experience, including ten years as a teacher educator in Minnesota. In the course of my career, all of my teaching has occurred in rural communities and the majority of my university students pursued careers as rural educators. I have a dedicated interest in the work of science teaching and learning.
I am seeking assistance with my dissertation research on the science teaching practices of early career elementary educators in the state of Minnesota. My research explores what endures from science methods courses in teacher education in the first few years of elementary teaching.
Ultimately, I am hoping my research can better inform my personal practice as a teacher educator and learn how to better equip my students as future early career educators for the realities of teaching elementary science in rural Minnesota.
More Information About the Research Study:
The purpose of this study is to determine the relationship, if any, between what is taught in elementary science methods courses in teacher education programs and the practices of early career educators teaching elementary science in rural Minnesota schools. This is a mixed methods study comprising two phases. The research first involves the use of a quantitative survey that is designed to elicit information about the teacher’s understanding of best practices, perception of teacher preparation programs for science teaching, perception of current classroom science teaching practices, and demographic information. After accessing the link to the secure and confidential online survey, participants may respond to the questions anonymously. Efforts to ensure confidentiality include allowing anonymous participation, ensuring secure storage of the data, and reporting aggregate rather than individual data. At the conclusion of the survey, there is an option for interested respondents to participate in phase two of the research which will involve interviews of no more than five individuals. Efforts will be made to protect the identity of the interviewees by using codes for the data, allowing access and review abilities of identified themes, and determining how interviewees would like to be represented in the final dissemination of results. The letters of informed consent are attached to this email. The intended audience for the final results are the USD School of Education with potential reporting to teacher education programs and schools in Minnesota as well as science teacher associations.
At all stages of the research, information on how to receive the final report will be provided.
Link to the Research Study: https://usdsoe.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0eRmkE49H64Mqln or www.tinyurl.com/usdeese
My hope is for this research to create conversations on how to better equip future elementary teachers of science. Thank you for your assistance in my research, but more so for all the ways you inspire the world of teaching and learning by investing in teachers and students!
Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at 507-537-6546 or at this email kandy.nolesstevens@coyotes.usd.edu.
Sincerely,
Kandy Noles Stevens
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