Contributed by Jennifer Stark

Award I, Level I, Outstanding Science Teacher Educator

This award recognizes the individual achievements and contributions of persons in their first ten years of service as science teacher educators.

Award II, Outstanding Mentor

Award II, the Outstanding Mentor Award, recognizes outstanding accomplishments in contributing to the professional development of pre-service and in-service science teachers and teacher educators. This year, we have identified two deserving ASTE members for this award.

Award III, Outstanding Longtime Service to ASTE

Award III, the Outstanding Longtime Service to ASTE award, recognizes outstanding service by a senior member of ASTE. For the purpose of this award, service is defined as work accomplished over 15 consecutive or nonconsecutive years by a committed ASTE member in an effort to address issues, goals, and actions that have intellectual merit and a broader impact on science teacher education while simultaneously serving the needs of ASTE members.

Award IV, Innovation in Teaching Science Teachers

Award IV, Innovation in Teaching Science Teachers, recognizes an outstanding paper presented at the ASTE 2022 conference that encourages the development and dissemination of new designs for courses and curricula, new instructional methods or approaches, and other types of innovations in the pre-or in-service education of teachers of science.

The authors of the best paper focused on innovation in teaching science teachers are Jacob Pleasants (University of Oklahoma), Jennifer Parrish (University of Northern Colorado), Sofia Alvarez-Briglie (University of Oklahoma), and Claudia Colonnello (University of Oklahoma)
- The title of their award-winning paper is: Promoting Teachers’ Understanding of the Relationship and Difference Between Science and Engineering: A Novel Set of Instructional Materials.

Award V, Implications of Research for Educational Practice

This award recognizes ASTE 2022 conference paper presentations that identify persistent and recurring problems in the practice of science teacher education and propose viable strategies grounded in both theory and research. Two manuscripts were awarded, including one for the graduate student level:

The authors of the best conference paper are Debi Hanuscin and Spencer Green (Western Washington University).
- The title of their outstanding paper is: (Re)Learning to Teach Science with a Hearing Impairment: An Auto-ethnographic Study.
The best graduate student conference paper was authored by Mohammed Estaiteyeha, who is now a new faculty member at Brock University.
- The title of his exceptional paper is Case Studies: Promoting STEM teacher Candidates’ Understanding and Implementation of Differentiated Instruction.

Future ASTE Awards

ASTE offers five awards for members. Manuscript award nominations are due March 1, and science education career award nominations are due June 1.

Specific information for each award can be viewed online: https://theaste.org/awards/
All nominations must be submitted online: https://theaste.org/awards/submit-a-nomination/

ASTE Manuscript Awards (Due March 1)

ASTE offers two manuscript awards, ASTE Award IV for Innovation in Teaching Science Teachers and Award V for Implications of Research for Educational Practice. ASTE members are invited to submit an electronic copy of any manuscript presented at the 2023 ASTE conference. The submission should be identifiable to the presentation given and closely resemble the presentation given at the conference.

Both Awards IV and V include graduate student-only levels. Only graduate students who were the first author on a 2023 ASTE conference presentation may apply. In addition to the standard required information, graduate students must also indicate their interest in this particular award by checking a box on the submission page and submitting a letter signed by any faculty mentor who appears as author to indicate their involvement in the work, which should be kept to a minimum. In recognition of their achievement, awardees of the graduate student option will receive conference registration to the 2024 ASTE conference in New Orleans, LA. This award will only be granted to the first author. Please note that papers may not be considered for both levels of the award simultaneously, but graduate students may choose to submit to either level.

ASTE Science Education Career Awards (Due June 1)

ASTE offers three science education career awards, Award I for Outstanding Science Teacher Educator of the Year (two levels for different career lengths), Award II for Outstanding Mentor, and Award III for Outstanding Longtime Service to ASTE, that recognize the personal achievements and professional contributions of its members. An ASTE member, who is cognizant of the qualifications of an ASTE member nominee, must submit the nomination. The nominee should be informed about the award nomination, and nominators must follow guidelines in preparing nomination materials. The responsibility for the preparation of documentary evidence rests with the nominator.