STEM Teaching Initiative

The STEM Teaching Initiative is a joint project of the College of St. Catherine’s Education Department and Center for Women, Science and Technology. The goals of this initiative are: 1) to bring together national expertise on effective teaching methods specifically to engage girls in STEM fields, for both middle school and high school teachers in Minnesota; 2) establish stronger links between the College of St. Catherine (CSC) and K-12 schools; and 3) develop a research agenda adding to the understanding of the effectiveness of K – 12 STEM teaching techniques, especially as they affect girls and students of color.

A central component of the STEM Teaching Initiative is Action research. Action research is a process by which a teacher examines his or her own work using the systematic techniques of research. Collaborative action research involves teams of practitioners working together to investigate the issues. During the 2007-2008 academic year, CSC faculty collaborated with teachers at Pullman Elementary School, Totino-Grace High School and Worthington Middle School in action research projects that contributed to the understanding of the effectiveness of STEM teaching techniques. Results from these action research projects included:

• a richer mentoring experience for participating teachers;
• further engagement between CSC Education faculty and K-12 schools;
• a strengthened CSC Education curriculum, and
• increased knowledge about effective techniques for teaching STEM, particularly to girls and students of color.