Project NEXUS

Project NEXUS is a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant funded project based at the University of Maryland, College Park and headed by Principal Investigator Dr. J. Randy McGinnis. Its purpose is to investigate an innovative model of teacher preparation. The official project website is http://www.projectnexus.umd.edu

Originally a collaboration among University of Maryland, College Park (UM), (a large, primarily majority population university), Bowie State University (BSU), Maryland (a smaller, historically black university) and Hands On Science Outreach, Inc. (HOSO), (a national organization developing and administering informal science education classes for children), it has evolved into a collaborative with Coppin State University (CSU), (Maryland) and available informal science education internships. The award was made in 2005 and with continued NSF approval, is planned to run until 2010.

The key assumption is that science educational practices require systemic reform within the undergraduate science subject matter and education classes, prospective teachers’ field based experiences, and professional development during new teachers induction years (NSF, 1993; NRC, 1997; Sunal, Wright, & Day, 2004).

This article contains the following information:

# Introduction to the NSF funded project and its goals and components.
# Research details by year. This contains links to completed papers, where possible.
# Project personnel.

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0455752cite web
url=http://www.fedspending.org/faads/faads.php?reptype=r&database=faads&record_id=8119794&detail=3&datype=T&sortby=i
title=Assistance Transaction #8119794
accessdate=2008-03-02] . Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

Introduction

The full title of the project is: Project NEXUS: The Maryland Upper Elementary/Middle School Science Teacher Professional Continuum Model. It was designed as a research project to investigate the question:

To what extent of success (and for what reasons) undergraduate elementary teacher education majors, particularly those from currently underrepresented groups, with demonstrated interest and performance in science, can be recruited and prepared to teach upper elementary/middle science in a manner consistent with Standards-based recommendations?

The original NSF application abstract

The proposed project will promote quality science education by developing and testing an exemplary model that will prepare, support and sustain upper elementary and middle level specialist science teachers. Project NEXUS teachers will benefit from a baccalaureate program that features connecting undergraduate science content with pedagogy seminars and method courses, supported internship experiences with adolescent students in informal education contexts, field placements in urban professional development schools (PDS) and ongoing innovative educational experiences addressing the needs of minority and urban students, participation in an induction LISTSERV, and continuous university, public school district, and informal education support during their induction years. Participants in the 5-year project include 150 new specialist science teachers and 40 practicing mentor teachers (formal and informal science education domains).

Goals and outcomes

# To build a new teacher preparation continuum model for upper elementary/middle school science teachers with an undergraduate academic minor in science content who can pass standardized exams in their content field.
# To implement this model at the University of Maryland, College Park and Bowie State University.
# To increase the number of elementary teacher education majors who concentrate in science, particularly those typically underrepresented.
# To increase the number of qualified upper elementary/middle school science teachers, particularly those typically underrepresented.
# To evaluate the model’s effectiveness.
# To conduct research on the model.
# To disseminate the model locally and nationally.

The four components of Project Nexus

*Component A of Project NEXUS consists of undergraduate academic advisors who use recruitment strategies that target academic majors and minors in content, particularly those from currently unrepresented groups, to enroll in a specialist upper elementary/middle level science teacher preparation program.

*Component B of Project NEXUS consists of the use of transformative undergraduate science content courses that exemplify the use of an inquiry perspective.

*Component C of Project NEXUS consists of an extensive-in-duration junior level field-based teaching placement in an after school informal education setting with adolescent learners.

*Component D in Project NEXUS consists of an instructional theme of data management and statistical analysis used in their transformative science methods course and in their PDS senior year urban field placements.

Research plans by year

A primary measure of success for this study consists of documenting in Project NEXUS how many interns are recruited, prepared, and then teach Standards-based science to upper level students. The total impact of the innovation in Project NEXUS will be obtained by comparing with current baseline data to what extent the elementary education teacher programs at UM and its partner university, now Coppin State, are able to recruit and prepare new teachers who take upper elementary/middle level science teaching positions and teach in a Standards-based manner, particularly those from currently underrepresented groups. The small studies in Project NEXUS are essential to add to our understanding of the reasons for the outcomes of Project NEXUS.

Year One

A Study of Recruitment to the Project NEXUS Science Teacher Education Program: A Focus on the Undergraduate Advisors

Central research question

To what level of success and for what reasons is it possible for undergraduate academic advisors to recruit undergraduate college students with academic majors and minors in content, particularly those who are members of underrepresented groups, to be science specialist upper elementary/middle school teachers?

Methodology and data collected

A case study was conducted during Y1 of Project NEXUS. The focus was on documenting and interpreting the recruitment efforts made in Project NEXUS. Participants included the education and science content advisors at UM and BSU (n=12) as well as the Project NEXUS leadership and representatives from the UM College of Education Minority Institute and Minority Achievement and Urban Education (n=5). Data consisted of individual and focus group interviews with the advisors, and observation data of advisor/advisee interactions. In addition, all minority candidates who were successfully recruited by the advisors were be invited to complete an Closed-ended question|open ended] survey that asked them to share the reason(s) for their decision to teach science to upper elementary/middle level students. Based on a review of the survey responses by the Project NEXUS leadership, a purposive selection of new minority recruits that represent the range of reasons for choosing to study elementary teacher preparation (approximately n= 10) was invited to participate in a focus group conversation. The focus group conversation was audiotaped and later transcribed. The question explored in the focus group conversation was why currently underrepresented groups in science are drawn to (or possibly not) to teach science to upper elementary/middle level students.

In addition, during fall of Y1 of Project NEXUS, baseline data on graduates from the UM and BSU elementary education teacher preparation programs were obtained by use of a survey sent out in the mail. This baseline data will be used in Y5 of Project NEXUS to compare the results of Project NEXUS. The baseline data was collected by use of a 51-item survey instrument developed and field-tested by the Project Director of Project NEXUS (McGinnis) in earlier NSF-funded research, “MCTP New Teachers Beliefs and Practices of Mathematics and Science.” The instrument will be revised by elimination of the items related to mathematics (23 items). The new instrument (“New Teachers Beliefs and Practices of Science”) will be administered mid-year to all the UM and BSU new teachers’ during their first year of teaching.

Research papers

Two research papers resulted from the Y1 study in Project NEXUS. The first reports the baseline data of what grade levels new graduates from two teacher preparation programs teach, and how their report on their beliefs and teaching practices concerning mathematics and science. A special focus is on highlighting the responses of new teachers who represent currently underrepresented groups in science. A second research article documents Project NEXUS’s efforts to use undergraduate advisors to recruit academic majors and minors in content, particularly those from currently unrepresented groups, to enroll in a specialist upper elementary/middle level science teacher preparation program. These articles emphasize what was successful (and for what reasons) as well as what obstacles were identified.The completed research papers and presentations are detailed below:

Peer-reviewed journals

* McGinnis, J. R., Roth McDuffie, A., & Graeber, A. (2006). Perceptions of making connections between science and mathematics in a science methods course. Journal of Elementary Science Education, 18(2), 13-29cite web
url=http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-27771276_ITM
title=Perceptions of making connections between science and mathematics in a science methods course.
accessdate=2008-03-02] .

* McGinnis, J.R., & Marbach-Ad, G. (2007). What beliefs and intended actions do reform-prepared mathematics and science teachers convey to the workplace? The Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Exploration, 9, 81-117.

* Marbach-Ad, & McGinnis, J. R. (in press). A measurement of beginning science teachers’ beliefs of subject matter and instructional actions over time. Journal of Science Teacher Education.

* Marbach-Ad, & McGinnis, J. R. (in review). A measurement of beginning mathematics teachers’ beliefs of subject matter and instructional actions over time. Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education.

* Marbach-Ad, G., McGinnis, J. R., & Dantley, S. (accepted). Beliefs and reported science teaching practices of recently graduated elementary and middle school teacher education majors from a historically black college/university and a predominately white college/university. Electronic Journal of Science Education.

Conference proceedings

* Marbach-Ad, G., McGinnis, & J. R., Dantley, S (2007). Beliefs and teaching practices reported by newly graduated elementary and middle school science teachers: Project Nexus (Year 1). In the proceedings of the 2007 Proceedings of the Association for Science Teacher Education (32 pages).

Community presentation

* McGinnis, J.R. (2006, December). Project Nexus: An update of Y1 findings. Elementary Teacher Education Program, Department of Curriculum & Instruction, College of Education, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland.

Year Two

A Study of Recruitment and the Preparationof Standards-informed Upper Elementary/Middle Level Science Teachers: A Focus on Transformative Science Courses

Central research question

To what level of success and for what reasons does participation in undergraduate science content courses that exemplify the use of an inquiry perspective affect the recruitment and preparation of teacher interns, particularly those who are members of underrepresented groups, to be science specialist upper elementary/middle school teachers?

Methodology and data collected

A pre-test, post-test study design was used to assess the impact of the transformed courses on the sophomore teacher interns’ learning (attitudes and beliefs dimensions). The instrument used was a revised version of a valid and reliable data collection tool, “Attitudes and Beliefs of the Nature of and the teaching of Mathematics and Science” (McGinnis, et al, 2002). The revised instrument used for both the pre-test (administered the first day of the courses) and the post-test (administered the last day of the courses) consists of 19 science items taken verbatim from the original survey. The pre-test, open-ended items were 1) Are you enrolled in an elementary education teacher preparation program?,2) Assuming you did have to teach, what grade levels would you teach science?, and 3) How would you teach science?

The post-test open ended items would ask interns to respond to: 1) To what degree and for what reason(s) their science course encouraged them to seriously consider teaching upper level/middle level science; and 2) to what degree and for what reason(s) their science course encouraged them to teach science in an inquiry-based manner. The sample includes all the teacher education interns who expressed interest in teaching upper elementary/middle level science and who are enrolled in the designated transformative science content course at both UM and BSU during Project Year 2 (28). The Likert item data has been quantitatively analyzed to report means by item and to look for statistically significant changes between the pre-and post-administrations of the survey. The open-ended items will be analyzed using the qualitative technique of open coding to look for trends and patterns. Data has been disaggregated to highlight minority students’ responses.

Research papers

The research articles resulting from this Y2 study report the role of a transformative science course in recruiting elementary education interns, particularly those from currently underrepresented groups, to teach upper elementary/middle school science in a Standards-based manner. Both quantitative and qualitative empirical data are reported.

The completed research papers and presentation are detailed below:

Research presentations

* Marbach-Ad, G., McGinnis, & J. R., Dantley, S (2007). Beliefs and teaching practices reported by newly graduated elementary and middle school science teachers: Project Nexus (Year 1). A paper presented at the annual meeting of the Association for Science Teacher Educators, Clearwater, Fl, January 4, 2—7.

* Marbach-Ad, G., & McGinnis, J.R. (2007). Beliefs and reported science teaching practices of recently graduated elementary and middle school teacher education majors: a mixed methods analysis. A paper accepted for presentation at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Chicago, IL., April 13, 2007.

Community presentations

* McGinnis, J.R. (2006, October). Project Nexus: Y2 research activities. Elementary Teacher Education Program, Department of Curriculum & Instruction, College of Education, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland.

* McGinnis, J.R. (2007, January). Project Nexus: An update of Y2 activities. Professional Development Schools Coordinating Council (Prince Georges’ County Public School System), Bowie Elementary School, Bowie, Maryland.

* McGinnis, J. R. (2007, April). ). Project Nexus: An update of Y2 activities. Elementary Teacher Education Program, Department of Curriculum & Instruction, College of Education, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland.

Year Three

A Study of the Use of Informal Science Urban Field Placements in the Project NEXUS Science Teacher Preparation Program

Central research question

To what level of success and for what reasons do field-based placements in after school informal science education programs that serve adolescent students affect the recruitment (and preparation) of college students, particularly those who are members of underrepresented groups, to be science specialist upper elementary/middle level teachers?

During Y2, in the fall, 2006 we piloted the training of undergraduate teacher interns placed in Hands on Science Outreach (HOSO) afterschool courses. Our pilot group consisted of 4 interns, 1 male and 3 females (all African American). We adapted HOSO’s training for Adult Learners to two 3 hour training sessions for our teacher interns.

In the spring, 2007 we scaled-up our training of undergraduate teacher interns placed in HOSO. Our scaled-up group whom we were able to recruit consisted of 1 male and 24 females (a mixture of Black/ African American, Asian, Hispanic, and White backgrounds). We further refined our training to consist of a 1 hour orientation session and a follow-up 2 hour training session. This version of the HOSO training was evaluated to fit seamlessly in the academic programs of undergraduate teacher interns.

Methodology and data collected

Both quantitative and qualitative research methodologies have been used to investigate this question. Quantitatively, data collection consists of participant responses to a pre-and post-test survey Likert survey that examine the intern’s attitudes and beliefs regarding teaching science to upper elementary/middle level students. The instrument used is a revised version of a valid and reliable data collection tool, “Attitudes and Beliefs of the Nature of and the teaching of Mathematics and Science” (McGinnis, et al, 2002). The revised instrument used for both the pre-test (administered the week before interns begin the HOSO apprenticeship) and the post-test (administered the week following completion of the HOSO internship) consists of 19 science items taken verbatim from the original survey. Qualitatively, data collection consists of pre-test open-ended items that includes: 1) What grade levels do you want to teach science? 2) How do you intend to teach science?, and 3) For what reason(s) are you participating as an Adult Leader’s apprentice in the HOSO after school informal science program? Post-test open ended items will include:1) To what degree and for what reason(s) did the HOSO after school science course encourage you to seriously consider teaching upper level/middle level science?; and 2) to what degree and for what reason(s) did the HOSO after school internship encourage them to teach science in an inquiry-based manner?

A comparison study was also conducted that examines the responses of the Project NEXUS participants’ and a sample of matched elementary major teacher candidates (selected to include subjects from UM and BSU) who do not participate in the informal science internship (n=30). The sample that does not participate in the HOSO after school informal science program has responded to the same Likert items taken from the revised McGinnis instrument “Attitudes and Beliefs of the Nature of and the Teaching of Mathematics and Science.” The instruments was administered the same weeks that the Project NEXUS HOSO participants responded to their instruments. Pre-test open-ended items for the non-HOSO participating sample included: 1) What grade levels do you want to teach science? 2) How do you intend to teach science?, and 3) For what reason(s) are you not participating as an Adult Leader’s apprentice in the HOSO after school informal science program? Post-test open-ended items for the non-HOSO participating sample will include: At this time, 1) What grade levels do you want to teach science? 2) How do you intend to teach science?In addition, a selection of Project NEXUS interns participated in a small number of case studies (n=6) that included documentation and interpretation of their experiences during their HOSO informal science education placements. At least four of the case studies feature minority teacher candidates who represented, respectively, UM and BSU (two from each institution). Data consist of ongoing audiotaped and transcribed interviews with the interns, weekly intern email journal reflections on their experiences, Adult Leaders’ observations and reflections on the interns’ participation as HOSO apprentices, and researcher field notes. Open coding, analytic induction and constant comparison will be used to analyze the data.

Anticipated research paper

The anticipated research article that results from this Y3 study will report the role of the informal science field placement for elementary education interns, particularly those from currently underrepresented groups, to teach upper elementary/middle school science in a Standards-based manner. Both quantitative and qualitative empirical data will be reported.

Year Four

A Study of An Instructional Theme in the Project NEXUS Science Teacher Preparation Program: A Focus on Their Senior Year Science Methods Course and Their PDS Urban Placement

Central research question

To what level of success and for what reasons participation in a transformative science methods course and a senior year PDS placement in an urban environment that includes an organizing theme of data collection and statistical analysis affects the recruitment (and preparation) of college students, particularly those who are members of underrepresented groups, to be science specialist upper elementary/middle level teachers?

Methodology and data collected

A pre-test, post-test mixed methodology study of the Project NEXUS cohort’s beliefs and teaching practices will be conducted. We will disaggregate data to highlight the responses of the minority interns. We will use in totality the existing valid and reliable instrument developed earlier by McGinnis et. al (“Attitudes and Beliefs About the Nature of and the Teaching of Mathematics and Science”) to measure the variables. In addition we will add the following open-ended items to the pre-test: 1) What grade levels do you want to teach science? 2) How do you intend to teach science? We will add the following open-ended items to the post-test: 1) What grade levels do you want to teach science? 2) How do you intend to teach science?, and 3) and 2) to what degree and for what reason(s) did their science methods course and their field based PDS placement encourage them to teach science in an inquiry-based manner that included a focus on data management and statistical analysis? The Likert item data will be quantitatively analyzed to report means by item and to look for statistically significant changes between the pre-and post-administrations of the survey. The open-ended items will be analyzed using the qualitative technique of open coding to look for trends and patterns. Data will be disaggregated to highlight minority students’ responses. In addition, a number of qualitative case studies (n= 10) will be conducted of UM and BSU interns as they experience in their senior year the semester long transformative science methods course and their yearlong PDS urban field placements. At least 6 of the participants will be minority teacher candidates, representing both BSU and UM (3 from each institution). Data will consist of ongoing audiotaped and transcribed interviews with the participating interns, weekly intern email journal reflections on their experiences, the science instructors’ observations and reflections on the interns’ participation in the science methods course, and researcher field notes. Open coding, analytic induction and constant comparison will be used to analyze the data. Also, during their science methods course, a field- tested HOSO calendar product will be used in as a research data collection instrument regarding the interns’ understanding of data management and statistical analysis as well as the role of informal science in promoting Standards-based science teaching and learning.

Anticipated research paper

Two research articles will result from this Y4 study in Project NEXUS. One will report the role of the transformative science methods course that includes an instructional theme of data management and statistical management in recruiting elementary education interns, particularly those from currently underrepresented groups, to teach upper elementary/middle school science in a Standards-based manner. Both quantitative and qualitative empirical data will be reported. A second study will examine the role of a senior level yearlong PDS urban field placement in recruiting elementary education interns, particularly those from currently underrepresented groups, to teach upper elementary/middle school science in a Standards-based manner.

Year Five

A Study of the Induction Year in the Project NEXUS Science Teacher Preparation Program

Central research question

To what extent of success (and for what reasons) undergraduate elementary teacher education majors, particularly those from currently underrepresented groups, with demonstrated interest and performance in science can be recruited and prepared to teach upper elementary/middle science in a manner consistent with Standards-based recommendations?

Methodology and data collected

This overarching research question in Project NEXUS will be answered in Y5 of Project NEXUS by comparing the performance of the UM and the BSU Project NEXUS elementary teacher preparation program in producing new teachers who take upper elementary/middle level science teaching positions, particularly those from currently underrepresented groups, with current performances of the two teacher preparation programs (baseline data collected fall 2005). A "t"-test will be used to examine for significance in differences. Baseline performance data that will be collected by use of survey methodology in Y1 of Project NEXUS will consist of post graduation UM and BSU new teacher information on the grade level teaching positions they have taken and on their reported beliefs of science as a discipline and teaching practices, disaggregated by the interns’ demographic background. Evidence of success will be measured by if there is a significant increase of the number of Project NEXUS new teachers who take upper elementary/middle level teaching positions and who express beliefs of science as a discipline and teaching practices in alignment with Standards-based recommendations (baseline data, Year 1). The data described above will be collected by use of a revised 51-item survey instrument developed and field-tested by the Project Director of Project NEXUS (McGinnis) in earlier NSF-funded research, “MCTP New Teachers Beliefs and Practices of Mathematics and Science.” The instrument will be revised by elimination of the items related to mathematics (23 items). The new instrument (“New Teachers Beliefs and Practices of Science”) will be administered mid-year to all the UM and BSU new teachers’ during their first year of teaching.

In addition, a small number of qualitative case studies (n=8) will be conducted in the spring of their first year of teaching of the BSU and UM new teachers who report that they are teaching in upper elementary/middle level schools and in a manner in alignment with Standards-based recommendations. The case study participants will include graduates from both UM and BSU, including the majority (n>5) representing currently underrepresented groups. Data collection will include interviews (individual and focus group), artifact analysis of their lesson plans, and reflective email journal responses. A central area of investigation will be their perspective on to what level of impact (if any) the various aspects of Project NEXUS had on their job decision-making and on their instructional decision-making.

Anticipated research papers

Two anticipated research articles will result from this Y5 study. One will report the survey results of the new teachers responses to our survey compared to our baseline data set collected during Y1 of our 5-year study. A second study will report the case studies of the new teachers.

Project personnel

*Graduate Assistants
** University of Maryland
*** Emily Hestness
*** Rebecca Pease
*** Kelly Riedinger
*** Kelly Schalk
** Florida A&M University
*** Isiah Brown

*Undergraduate Assistants
**
*** Kayode Lewis
*** Taiese Robinson
*Former Graduate Assistants and Undergraduate Student Helpers
**
*** Amy Dai
*** Megean Garvin
*** Cara Moore
*** Wilkinson Unugboji

*Consultants
**
*** Dr. Phyllis Katz
**** Project Nexus Informal Science Education Consultant
**** Originator, Executive Director (1980-2002), and Director of Research and Special Projects (2002-2005) of Hands On Science Outreach (HOSO)
*** Dr. Mark Guy
**** Project Nexus Internal Evaluator
**** Associate Professor, University of North Dakota

*Senior Personnel
**
*** Dr. Gili Marbach-Ad
**** Project Nexus Senior Research Associate
**** Director, Teaching and Learning Center, UMD, College Park

*Investigators
**
*** Mr. José Luis Barata
**** Co-Principal Investigator, Project Nexus (end, summer 2007), Hands On Science Outreach (HOSO)
**** Executive Director (end, summer, 2007), Hands On Science Outreach (HOS
*** Dr. Scott Jackson Dantley
**** Co-Principal Investigator, Project Nexus
**** Associate Provost, Coppin State University
*** Dr. Spencer Benson
**** Co-Principal Investigator, Project Nexus
**** Director Center for Teaching Excellence
**** Associate Professor, Dept. of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetic, UMD, College Park
*** Dr. J. Randy McGinnis
**** Principal Investigator, Project Nexus
**** Editor-in-chief, Journal of Research in Science Teaching
**** Professor, Department of Education and Instruction, UMD, College Park
*External Advisory Board
*** Dr. Elsa Bailey
*** Ms. Susan Denvir, University of Maryland
*** Dr. Pamela Fraser-Abder, New York University
*** Dr. Philip Sokolove, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
*** Ms. Deborah Roberts-Harris, Fifth Grade Teacher, Arizona
*Program Officers, National Science Foundation
*** Dr. Carol Stearns (end, fall 2005), TPC
*** Dr. Angelique Blackmon-Tucker (end, 2006), TPC
*** Dr. Sharon Locke, TPC

References