The Science Math Resource Center (SMRC), part of the Montana State University Department of Education, is dedicated to advancing STEM teaching and learning across Montana. We support K–12 educators in rural, tribal, and urban communities through professional development, conduct educational research, and create STEM programming for learners of all ages. As a member of the Education and Workforce Development team for Montana NSF EPSCoR, SMRC works to strengthen Montana’s competitiveness in science and engineering research and development.

These reports summarize the professional development needs and interests of Montana K–12 educators, with a focus on teachers of STEM subjects—science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The findings offer valuable insights for:

  • Montana University System researchers and others with STEM resources, helping them identify ways to share expertise with K–12 educators and amplify the broader impacts of research.
  • School administrators, professional development providers, and agencies that support classroom teachers, guiding decisions that align with educators’ priorities.

By understanding these needs, we can work together to create meaningful opportunities that strengthen STEM education across Montana.

Full Report

Summary

Full Report

Summary: Working with Montana rural K-12 classrooms and out-of-school / informal education settings (citable tips for researchers)

Some rural education data points

  • In Montana, 75% of K-12 schools are rural, the highest proportion among U.S. states.
  • Montana has more one-room schoolhouses than any other state
  • In many rural districts, one educator teaches MANY classes, often multi-grade (plus they coach sports and lead extracurriculars....and maybe drive the bus, make school lunches, etc.)
  • For 85% of rural elementary school children, their daily one-way bus ride exceeds the recommended time of 30 minutes*. Children from higher-poverty rural schools experience more mileage on unpaved roads and over mountainous terrain.

*Bus ride research reflects national demographics but is not specific to Montana

Why should we use our research impact opportunities to support rural youth and communities?

  • Youth in rural communities have fewer opportunities for high-quality STEM learning than their peers in urban and suburban areas. (classes, school extracurriculars, out-of-school time opportunities, etc.)
  • A statewide teaching shortage has exacerbated existing conditions; the more rural the school, the more difficult the challenge.
  • Rural people who pursue STEM education have limited opportunities to pursue relevant careers in their home communities and often must leave home to establish a new career.
  • Prolonged impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic have further amplified social, educational and health inequities in rural communities.
  • Challenges can loom larger for girls and women; minorities; people with disabilities or special needs; people without a lot of money; and First Generation college students.

Montana educator needs assessment1

Montana educators are eager to expand their skills through professional development (PD); however, high-quality PD is not always readily available, particularly in rural areas.

Biggest barriers to PD participation are:

  • Availability of substitute teachers
  • Having to pay out of pocket to attend
  • Not enough time off from work
  • Significant travel distances
  • Lack of resources (books, materials for experiments, etc.)
  • Technology (some schools do not have continuous access to high-speed Internet)

Teachers want to connect with university researchers!

  • 81% of teachers (all subjects, all grades) are interested in resources related to university research
  • Top need: Researchers travel to their school to interact directly with students (especially important for rural educators)
  • Most teachers said they were interested in having access to contemporary data sets used by researchers

Most useful formats:

  • Curated lessons plans providing examples of how the data sets can be used and how they align with Montana standards
  • Examples of how data sets can be used to tackle real-world issues
  • Professional development designed to stimulate how data sets can be used in the classroom

Quotes from teachers

  • “Rural focused information would be nice. We often attend workshops where our needs are significantly different than those science teachers who teach only one discipline.”
  • “Planning for a substitute is typically done on our own time and takes far longer than the actual lesson.”
  • “Most teachers do not want to use personal days to take time off school to attend PD.”
  • “I do not have a car for traveling beyond my town. I do not have funds …for purchasing equipment.”

Other

  • Teachers who participate in MSU programs would like to present about them at their own professional conferences but don’t have funds to travel/register
  • Teachers also need financial support to interact with their professional associations

References

1Meyerink, M. and S. Taylor. 2021. Montana Educator Needs Assessment. MSU Science Math Resource Center. https://scholarworks.montana.edu/xmlui/handle/1/16458*