Publication Date
12-2017
Date of Final Oral Examination (Defense)
10-13-2017
Type of Culminating Activity
Dissertation
Degree Title
Doctor of Education in Curriculum and Instruction
Department
Curriculum, Instruction, and Foundational Studies
Supervisory Committee Chair
Julianne A. Wenner, Ph.D.
Supervisory Committee Co-Chair
Jonathan Brendefur, Ph.D.
Supervisory Committee Member
Keith W. Thiede, Ph.D.
Supervisory Committee Member
Sara Hagenah, Ph.D.
Abstract
Idahoans failed to recognize approximately $240M in 2016 when over 3,800 STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) jobs, with a median wage of $30 per hour, went unfilled. This further caused Idaho to lose $14M in state income tax receipts from these unclaimed positions (Idaho Department of Labor, 2016). To mitigate these economic losses, the Idaho STEM Action Center (STEM AC) was created to develop the STEM-skilled workforce that Idaho employers demand. High-quality, STEM-educator professional development (PD) is a critical component in ensuring students are equipped with the skills required to successfully thrive in the workforce and fill industry demands. Because of this imperative need, STEM AC has undertaken the development of tools for selecting high-quality PD via both the Change the Equation (CTEq) and Idaho-specific rubrics. Utilizing a mixed methods approach, STEM AC operated three PD opportunities for fiscal year 2017 involving over 100 Idaho educators. Through extensive data collection and analyses of educator inputs, research revealed the need for modifying PD selection rubrics to further emphasize Idaho STEM educators’ needs by 1) increasing the weighting of ‘relevance’ on the CTQ rubric; 2) adding ‘resources’ to the Idaho-specific rubric; and 3) decreasing the rubrics’ emphases of other specified PD aspects. Overall, the rubrics did select what the majority of participants considered to be high-quality PD; therefore, this study indicates that STEM AC should continue utilizing this process for the future selection of high-quality PD opportunities for Idaho STEM educators. The culmination of this effort will produce a future workforce equipped with the level of STEM competence that moves Idaho to the forefront of economic development and prosperity.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.18122/B2DD8H
Recommended Citation
Hemingway, Angela, "Research-Based STEM Educator Professional Development Rubrics for the Selection of High-Quality Professional Development: A Mixed Methods Study of Teacher Perceptions and Outcomes" (2017). Boise State University Theses and Dissertations. 1338.
https://doi.org/10.18122/B2DD8H