45 - Using research-practice partnerships and advisory groups to guide in-depth qualitative research, a case study in multi-vocal research

Abstract Information: What Keeps Noyce Scholars Going? Understanding Noyce Scholar Career Trajectories (UNSCT) is a Noyce Track 4 Research Practice Partnership (RPP) between Pacific University, Education Northwest, University of Oregon, and University of Portland funded by the National Science Foundation. UNSCT is studying the effectiveness and retention of 100 Oregon Noyce scholar alumni who entered science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) teaching between 2011 and 2022. UNSCT is a 5-year narrative inquiry research project to broaden and deepen our understanding of the complex factors influencing Noyce Scholar effectiveness and retention in high needs schools. By centering it’s work on the voices, experiences, and stories of effective Noyce scholars teaching in the field, UNSCT will provide authentic, richly layered, culturally responsive insight into “What Keeps Noyce Scholars Going” as teachers in high-needs schools. By using narrative inquiry research methodology, UNSCT supports Noyce STEM teachers to reconstruct their individual career trajectories, from early life experiences, through STEM education, careers, and teacher preparation programs, to their present careers. Through this, we hope to provide rich, contextual information and stories to understand the complex influences that “keep Noyce scholars going” as effective teachers in high needs schools, as well as a set of recommendations for the Noyce community, for STEM teacher preparation more broadly, and for policy makers interested in solving the problem of STEM teacher retention. This robust approach to data collection and analysis allows us to explore teacher retention issues more fully; however, it does make it challenging to establish validity and connect themes. While we conduct member checks to ensure the validity of our findings, we have also incorporated an RPP approach and regular feedback from our advisory group to guide our work. Through our RPP, we bring together university staff with a rich knowledge of Noyce teacher preparation and nonprofit research and evaluation staff with a deep understanding of critical qualitative methods. All participants bring a strong field knowledge of STEM teacher preparation and retention on which the partnership is built. Our RPP works together to facilitate narrative inquiry retreats and meetings, construct and administer protocols, analyze data, and report out on findings. Additionally, at each stage of tool generation, data collection, and analysis, we are using the insights from our advisory group to support our work. For tool generation and data collection, our advisory group has reviewed all protocols and outreach strategies to anticipate potential pitfalls. For each stage of analysis, we provide opportunities for advisory board review and feedback. During these review times, we are utilizing the expertise in our board to help make meaning and develop high level themes from our findings. This poster will describe the role of RPPs and advisory groups in guiding in-depth qualitative research, using our UNSCT as a case study.