When Donna Ross left her job as a classroom teacher in her native Oregon to enter the biology master’s program at San Diego State University, her intent was to transition from teacher to scientist. But being out in the field studying epibenthic algal mats — think the layer of slime on top of the mud in an estuary — gives one time to ponder one’s path.
“I’d be out in thigh-high mud collecting data and I’d find myself thinking about how I would teach the information I was finding through the data I was collecting,” Ross recalls. “So I decided that while I loved biology, my heart was in teaching.”
Years later, Ross is back at SDSU, and she’s found a way to blend both her passions nicely in the College of Education. Her official title is associate professor in the School of Teacher Education, but she’s proud to call herself a “science nerd.” Her mission in her research and teaching is to improve science teaching and learning at the PK-12 level.
In addition to serving as director of the SDSU Math/Science Teacher Initiative and associate director of the Center for Research in Mathematics and Science Education (CRMSE), Ross oversees several large grants focused on developing and supporting a pipeline of science teachers.
The latest is the NSF-funded Noyce Scholars and Interns Program, which she’s launching this summer in collaboration with STE colleagues Kathleen Schenkel and Meredith Vaughn, and David Pullman from SDSU’s Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. The project, which is focused on technology and social justice-oriented science teaching, will offer scholarships to 41 credential students, mentorship and professional development once they enter service and 25 internships aimed at inspiring undergraduates in science to pursue teaching.
Learn more about Ross’ work, in her own words.
On the new Noyce project
“I’m excited that this is a pipeline grant. We have a very large need in this country for highly-qualified science teachers who have strong content knowledge and strong pedagogy. There are several components to the grant — first to recruit science majors and get them excited about a career in teaching, then to support them while they're in our credential program and finally to provide professional development for them after they leave the program.
“Social justice-oriented science is about trying to look at science from the perspective of the people within the community you're teaching. It's looking for issues that are relevant and meaningful for your students, having them learn the science and then having them move on to be activists looking to make change. I think it motivates and engages them to learn science in a way that they might not otherwise.”
Her own spark for science
“Most people probably don’t know that I intended to be an English literature major. But in community college, I had an amazing cell and molecular biology professor. He was so interesting and able to relate the science to things that were meaningful to his audience. We also did a lot of active learning with discussion and debate, group work and labs. It was so interactive. Unfortunately, I had not had good math or science experiences in high school — it was a lot of passive learning — so it never would have crossed my mind to be a science major. One professor really did change my entire trajectory.”
On her early experience as a migrant educator
“I taught elementary education in the Pacific Northwest for students whose parents were migrant farm or fisheries workers. That was amazingly fun and challenging because, as you might guess, students come and go. I taught kindergarten and I'd have 50 kindergartners in my class on a given day and the next day I might have 15 — it all depended on what was happening with the farm work.
“I actually lived for a season on one of the orchards in a little cabin alongside the families. I recognized how incredibly hard they worked and how much effort went into keeping their families together while living in difficult conditions. I definitely developed a strong sense of admiration as well as sensitivity and empathy in knowing that if sometimes a parent doesn't come to a conference or a student falls asleep in class, there are a lot of reasons that might happen. It was a great learning experience.”
On what makes a good science teacher
“There are multiple things. You have to be able to show your students that you care about them, you need content knowledge and you have to work to set up investigations that involve the students and get them engaged. I believe you also need to be able to collaborate and network with other adults to maintain intellectual stimulation and continue to grow as a teacher. I like to think that my work supports science teachers in all of these areas.”
