We have developed and extensively tested written and visual teacher recruitment materials as part of the Get the Facts Out (GFO) project in an effort to correct the nation’s science and math teacher shortage. First, we worked with experts to develop taglines, sentences, and other written materials based on our research on perceptions of the teaching profession. Additionally, we identified appealing photos and videos related to teaching. Next, we tested and refined these materials over two years using faculty and student focus groups at several US universities. Recently, we began collecting large-scale data via a national online survey. Our results provide insights into optimal recruitment strategies, and we will share some of our unique findings based on location, demographics, and target audience.&nbsp;This project is supported by NSF DUE-1821710.

User Testing of Teacher Recruitment Videos, Images, and Other Materials

There is a serious shortage of secondary science and math teachers across the United States. Part of this shortage can be attributed to a lack of research-based recruitment materials. To this end, we have developed written and visual materials for recruiting future STEM teachers as part of the Get the Facts Out (GFO) project. We have tested and refined our materials through faculty and student focus groups at several demographically and geographically diverse US universities over the last two years. Recently, we collected large-scale data via a national online survey that will be shared here for the first time. Our findings provide insights into optimal recruitment strategies, and we will share our unique considerations for different locations, demographics, and target audiences. We will also discuss our testing and refinement strategies through interactive activities.

Research-based, User-tested Materials for Recruiting STEM Teachers

The United States is facing a critical shortage of grade 7-12 teachers in the STEM disciplines, particularly in physics, chemistry, and mathematics. Faculty members play a major role in their students career choices, and faculty members perceptions of the profession may determine whether students choose to pursue teaching. To this end, we developed two surveys to measure student and faculty perceptions of grade 7-12 teaching. We found that both groups hold many incorrect beliefs about teaching careers. Furthermore, we found that faculty members believe they are quite supportive of future teachers, while students perceive that they are less supportive. Our findings highlight the need for both faculty members and students to be informed about the benefits of careers in grade 7-12 teaching. Additionally, our results suggest that faculty members should work to dispel their internal biases surrounding the teaching profession, which may inadvertently drive students away from grade 7-12 teaching.

College Faculty Support for Grade 7-12 Teaching Careers: Survey Results and Comparisons to Student Perceptions

There is a serious shortage of secondary science and math teachers across the United States. Part of this shortage can be attributed to a lack of research-based recruitment materials. To this end, we have developed written and visual materials for recruiting future STEM teachers as part of the Get the Facts Out (GFO) project. We have tested and refined our materials through faculty and student focus groups at several demographically and geographically diverse US universities over the last two years. Most recently, we have collected large-scale data on effective recruitment materials via a national online survey. Our findings provide insights into optimal recruitment strategies, and we will share our unique findings based on location, demographics, and target audience. We will also discuss our testing and refinement strategies through interactive activities. This project is supported by NSF DUE-1821710.

Savannah Logan

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