Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2012 Fall;11(3):239-47.
doi: 10.1187/cbe.11-12-0119.

Moving beyond GK-12

J A Ufnar  1 , Susan Kuner, V L Shepherd
Affiliations

Moving beyond GK-12

J A Ufnar et al. CBE Life Sci Educ. 2012 Fall.

Abstract

The National Science Foundation GK-12 program has made more than 300 awards to universities, supported thousands of graduate student trainees, and impacted thousands of K-12 students and teachers. The goals of the current study were to determine the number of sustained GK-12 programs that follow the original GK-12 structure of placing graduate students into classrooms and to propose models for universities with current funding or universities interested in starting a program. Results from surveys, literature reviews, and Internet searches of programs funded between 1999 and 2008 indicated that 19 of 188 funded sites had sustained in-classroom programs. Three distinct models emerged from an analysis of these programs: a full-stipend model, in which graduate fellows worked with partner teachers in a K-12 classroom for 2 d/wk; a supplemental stipend model in which fellows worked with teachers for 1 d/wk; and a service-learning model, in which in-classroom activity was integrated into university academic coursework. Based on these results, potential models for sustainability and replication are suggested, including establishment of formal collaborations between sustained GK-12 programs and universities interested in starting in-classroom programs; development of a new Teaching Experience for Fellows program; and integration of supplemental fellow stipends into grant broader-impact sections.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Number of sustained GK–12 programs compared with total programs funded. A total of 188 GK–12 grants were awarded between 1999 and 2008. During this time period, grants were funded for 3 to 8 yr. The breakdown for the total number of grants funded for 3, 6, and 8 yr is shown by the open bars. Based on results from the current study, 19 of these grants were classified as sustained models, in which graduate students taught in K–12 classrooms in partnership with teachers. The number of sustained programs for the 3-, 6-, and 8-yr awards are shown in the filled bars (3 of 87 3-yr grants; 4 of 19 6-yr grants; and 4 of 41 8-yr awards). Data are not presented for 5-yr awards, since these programs have only been in place since 2007 and have not yet developed sustainability plans for post-NSF funding.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Alberts B. Scientists have important roles, responsibilities in future of science education. Forum on Education newsletter, November. 1994 www.aps.org/units/fed/newsletters/nov94/alberts.html (accessed 5 June 2011)
    1. American Association for the Advancement of Science. NSF GK–12 Project Locator. 2011. www.gk12.org/project-locator (accessed 6 March 2009)
    1. American Institute of Physics. FY 2012 STEM Education Budget Request. 2011. www.aip.org/fyi/2011/019.html (accessed 10 July 2011)
    1. Bledsoe KE, Shieh R, Park Y-S, Gummer E. Role perceptions and role dynamics between graduate scientists and K–12 teachers in a school-university outreach project: understudied constructs. J Higher Educ Outreach Engagement. 2004;9:107–121.
    1. Boone R, Marsteller P. Avoiding a setback to STEM. Science. 2011;333:267. - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources