LEADERS: PBS, Collaboration and Impacts on STEM Teaching

LEADERS is a mathematics and science partnership that merges the expertise of K-12 school districts, higher education, the renewable energy industry, and informal science education centers in the economic revitalization of the Great Lakes Region.

The LEADERS partnership focuses on student-centered education with the aim of uniting community economic growth and science education. The LEADERS vision of effective STEM teaching incorporates Project-Based Science as a means to involve students with real world issues, thus making science content/concepts tangible as well as demonstrative of scientific career paths.

A strong collaborative partnership facilitates the infusion of PBS concepts and curricula into the science education community. Vital to this process is a cadre of Teacher Leaders, educated on relevant science content and PBS pedagogy through graduate-level science courses and professional development sessions. Project findings are reported on Teacher Leader responses to a survey on the efficacy of the LEADERS professional development offerings.

Teacher Leaders disseminate learned science content/concepts and PBS pedagogy to K-12 teachers in their respective school districts through LEADERS sponsored professional development sessions. District Teacher interview responses regarding Teacher Leader professional development offerings are summarized in this poster.

Additional reported findings include data from the LEADERS evaluation team suggesting a comprehensive understanding of PBS pedagogy is a challenge for Teacher Leaders.