| Abstract: | Awardees of the National Science Foundation's Noyce Scholars funds are required to teach science in high‐need urban or rural school districts upon graduation. The purpose of this research was to analyze the reflective considerations that distinguish preservice Noyce Scholar science education majors committed to teaching in high‐need New York City (NYC) schools from those committed to high‐need rural careers. Essays designed to expose their (n = 22) considerations of teaching in NYC written before, immediately after, and two weeks following a one‐week cultural and science teaching internship experience were coded to reveal distinguishing reflective thought patterns. The results showed that those (16/22) whose final essay showed commitment to NYC teaching viewed themselves positively as NYC teachers and that increases in positive self‐perceptions were paralleled by increases in affinity toward living in NYC and NYC schools. Those not inclined to NYC teaching (6/22) expressed increasingly negative views of themselves as NYC teachers, NYC life, and urban education generally. The research provides insights into what Noyce Scholar undergraduates in science education think about when considering a teaching career in urban school districts. |
