APPENDIX B
Focus Group Summaries
SITES OF FOCUS GROUPS
University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey - Rutgers University/UMDNJ
Duke University
University of Texas at Austin
University of California, San Francisco (UCSF)
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center (FHCRC)
SUMMARY OF FOCUS GROUPS
Interviewees - A total of 43 Ph.D. graduate students and postdoctoral fellows participated in the five focus groups. Most were in the biological sciences. A few were in mathematics and chemistry. One was in geological sciences. Several had started out to become teachers or had taught high school. Some had participated in secondary school teaching through the Science and Health Partnership (SEP).
Career Aspirations - Many would stay in scientific research if they could. Attitudes about possibility of obtaining tenure-track research positions were realistic. About one-third aspired to work in small colleges, another third in industry. Some still hoped for tenure track research positions. Perceptions of the academic professor's life were often negative. Several interviewees had considered teaching as a career. Almost none were planning to teach K-12.
Positive and negative attitudes about teaching K-12 - Although the importance and social responsibility of good science teaching was recognized and many had enjoyed teaching as teaching assistants, few considered K-12 teaching as an option. The perceived positives included great hours, schedule is same as your children, great vacations, summer option to do research, and enjoyment of fostering scientific interest among children. Some believed student motivation to learn at private and magnet schools would be a good. As one interviewee said, “Teaching at a good secondary school could be better than a bad college.” Others believed this would be a socially irresponsible copout. The perceived negatives included lack of status and respect, poor classroom laboratory facilities, excessive numbers of students in classroom, structured curriculum with no opportunity for creativity, possible conflicts with non-Ph.D. teachers, and problems of discipline, violence, or drugs. A Ph.D. is overeducated for K-12, said one participant. “I enjoy teaching math too much to be teaching 10th grade algebra.”
Curriculum Development and Professional Development–While not previously considered an option by any of the participants, the idea of being involved in curriculum development and teaching science to teachers aroused substantial interest at all sites. Participants thought curriculum development was appealing because of the opportunity it would provide to look at the “big picture” of how all the pieces of science or math education fit together. They thought training science teachers would provide them a role in keeping teachers current with regard to the latest scientific advances.
Training and Certification - Participants realized that in addition to knowing their subjects, teachers need to learn how to teach and to deal with children. Standard teacher education courses received little enthusiasm. At several sites a mentored teaching experience was suggested to be important. There was some interest in a time-limited teaching experience of 1-2 years. Five years was considered too long. It was suggested that this experience should be mentored, and that it could be rewarded by a guaranteed NIH-funded fellowship. Also heard was: “If you take 2 years off to teach you won't get back on the research track.”
Compensation - Career and life style issues were considered more important than salary. K-12 salaries were considered unattractive in contrast to other professional options.
Comments and Suggestions
“The best time to capture Ph.D.s for secondary school teaching is right after graduation.”
“If you put an ad in Science or Nature with an established program to recruit Ph.D. scientists to secondary school teaching it would work. Lots of students would sign up.”
Focus Group Questions and Responses
Tell me about your current position?
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What are your career aspirations?
Rutgers/UMDNJ:
Duke:
UT Austin:
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UCSF:
FHCRC:
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What do you find attractive about the career you aspire to?
Rutgers/UMDNJ:
Duke:
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UT Austin:
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What is unattractive about the career you aspire to?
Rutgers/UMDNJ:
Duke:
UT Austin:
UCSF participants were asked what factors affected their career choices.
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Right now, what do you think are your chances of realizing your aspirations? What are the obstacles to realizing these aspirations?
Rutgers/UMDNJ:
Duke:
UT Austin:
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UCSF:
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Think back to when you first started college and when you first started graduate school. What were your career aspirations at each of these times? If you have changed your aspirations, what caused you to change?
Rutgers/UMDNJ:
Duke:
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UT Austin:
FHCRC:
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Have you ever considered a career other than in a university, such as in industry (biotechnology, pharmaceutical) computers, science writing, law school, or teaching?
Rutgers/UMDNJ:
Duke:
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UT Austin:
UCSF:
FHCRC:
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Have you ever considered a career as a secondary school science or mathematics teacher? If yes, why? If not, why not?
Rutgers/UMDNJ:
Duke:
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UT Austin:
UCSF:
FHCRC:
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What might be attractive about such a position?
UT Austin:
FHCRC:
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What makes this position unattractive to you?
Rutgers/UMDNJ:
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Duke:
UT Austin:
FHCRC:
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What are the obstacles to pursuing a position as a secondary school teacher?
Rutgers/UMDNJ:
Duke:
UT Austin:
FHCRC:
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What about teaching gifted students or in magnet schools?
Rutgers/UMDNJ:
Duke:
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FHCRC participants were asked what incentives would get them to consider secondary school teaching.
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Would you consider taking such a position for a five-year commitment?
Rutgers/UMDNJ:
Duke:
UT Austin:
UCSF:
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FHCRC:
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For teacher certification, most states require teacher education courses and a passing score on basic skills and/or subject matter examinations. Would you consider secondary school teaching if you could satisfy the teacher education requirement by (see handout)?
Rutgers/UMDNJ:
Duke:
UT Austin:
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UCSF:
FHCRC: (Many of the focus group members had had some level of involvement in secondary school teaching)
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What career options would you be willing to consider based on the following salaries for professional positions and your perception of the chances of your obtaining one of these positions? (see state-specific handouts)
Rutgers/UMDNJ:
Duke:
UT Austin:
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UCSF:
FHCRC:
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What characteristics of your work environment would be especially important to you in a secondary school teaching position?
Rutgers/UMDNJ:
Duke participants were asked to comment on the idea of Ph.D.s having the chance to conduct research while they taught secondary school:
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UT Austin:
UCSF:
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Would you consider taking a position with a school district or state department of education in science or mathematics curriculum development? If yes, why? If not, why not?
Rutgers/UMDNJ:
Duke:
UT Austin:
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UCSF: On curriculum development:
On training teachers:
FHCRC:
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What might be attractive about such a position?
Rutgers/UMDNJ:
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Duke:
UT Austin:
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What might be unattractive about such a position?
Rutgers/UMDNJ: No negatives mentioned. Duke If you're working in the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, you're far removed from students and teachers.
UT Austin: Dealing with the school bureaucracy is a major problem.
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