Theoretical Framework

Our theoretical framework/logic model is meant to delineate the effects of the Noyce Program and suggest other potential influences en route to STEM majors becoming STEM teachers in high-need schools.
This model indicates that the scholarships of the Noyce Program influence whether STEM majors begin the process of becoming certified to teach and may influence STEM major decisions at important points along the route to becoming a long-term teacher (i.e., plan to teach vs. plan to enter a non-teaching STEM career, enter certification program vs. teach without, teach vs. not teaching, teach at low-need school vs. high-need, and to remaining in teaching vs. leaving).

Also included in the model are the places en route to teaching where recruitment or retention at the program or school/district level can be assumed.

Despite the potential influence of Noyce program money on STEM major decisions, this model also provides additional suggested influences from the relevant literatures. These include the impact of attributes of individual STEM majors, of the pre-service program, and of the school/district. In addition, this logic model attempts to examine the process of becoming a STEM teacher in a high-need school from the perspective of the STEM major. Presumably several factors affect STEM major choices at specific decision points such as: interests for a career, career values, career pay, and value of monetary compensation influencing whether one plans to teach; perceived importance of certification and challenge of financial cost influencing the choice to enter a certification program; desire and requirement to teach influencing whether one does teach; values for a workplace, social justice beliefs, program/funding requirements, and training influencing the decision to teach at a high-need school; and the perceived fulfillment, support, and challenge influencing the choice to remain in teaching.

In sum, this model attempts to delineate the implied as well as explicitly stated experiences of STEM majors progressing toward becoming STEM teachers.

Click here to see a visual representation of the model.