The Master of Arts in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) Education "prepares teachers in grades kindergarten through eight to become STEM specialists in their schools and districts," says Chris Brownell, Ph.D., program director and assistant professor of mathematics education at FPU. Classes begin in the fall of 2015 on the main FPU campus, 1717 S. Chestnut Ave., Fresno. Other locations could be added depending upon interest.
Demand for graduates is already high. "The Central Valley is in great need of qualified teachers in the STEM fields. They will teach tomorrow's engineers, scientists and technical experts and, with them, improve life in the region," Brownell said.
This new program plays into the traditional strengths of Fresno Pacific and the new academic demands of the Common Core. Sponsored by the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers, the Common Core seeks to establish consistent educational standards across the United States that ensure students graduate from high school prepared to succeed in college or careers. The new math standards include linking topics and thinking across grades, and increasing students' conceptual understanding and procedural skill.
Integrating related subjects—particularly math and science—has long been at the center of the Fresno Pacific philosophy. "The FPU tradition is to focus on big ideas that are interconnected and learning that is appealing and broadly applicable," Brownell says.
"Engineering is problem-solving within a math or science project. Technology is not much different—it's developing something that solves a problem or fills a need," he says. "Technology and engineering will be infused throughout the degree."
Research says people are born scientists, according to Brownell. "Starting as children, we take in information, make theories and test them," he says. Learning to speak is one example: "You play around with sounds until they make sense to people," he adds.
The 33-unit degree follows FPU's cohort model, where groups of students begin the program together and support one another. "Our experience with cohorts is that they get people through," Brownell says.
Students will average 5 units per semester for seven semesters, including summers. Most classes will be taught one night a week, and there will be online study. "It will be offered around teacher schedules," he says.
The new AIMS Center for Math & Science Education will also be a major part of the STEM M.A. AIMS will endow 30 half-tuition scholarships (up to 90 scholarships at a time) for the new degree as well as the two existing Masters of Arts in Mathematics Education. In several classes in these programs FPU students will work with AIMS researchers to incorporate the latest knowledge and techniques into their teaching. "That is going to allow our program to be much more connected to cutting-edge research," Brownell says.
The AIMS (Activities Integrating Mathematics and Science) Education Foundation has been at the forefront of math and science education since the early 1980s, when it was founded by Arthur Wiebe, Ph.D., former FPU president, and longtime educator Larry Ecklund. For more than 30 years AIMS produced high-quality supplemental materials for classroom teachers. In the fall of 2014, the foundation, housed on the main FPU campus, changed its focus to research, creating The AIMS Center for Math & Science Education at Fresno Pacific University.
Joining Brownell in teaching in the program will be David Youngs, ScEd.D., professor of mathematics and education and science education; Steve Pauls, Ph.D., associate professor of chemistry; and adjuncts, some of whom are working public school teachers and/or FPU alumni.
For more information, check the FPU website at grad.fresno.edu/programs/master-arts-integrated-mathematics-science-education or contact Brownell at chris.brownell@fresno.edu or 559-453-2046.