Research Associate

The Maine Math & Science Alliance (MMSA) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that finds inspiring new ways to get people excited about science, technology, engineering and math today, so that our youth can become the innovators and workforce of tomorrow. MMSA supports educators to teach science, technology, engineering and math in more meaningful ways by:

• Developing professional development experiences for K-12 educators
• Conducting research and evaluation of STEM learning experiences
• Building relationships and networks to sustain systemic statewide improvement

MMSA offers a work culture that is very team oriented, welcomes a mix of working-from-home and from-the-office work schedules, and is rooted in the belief that high quality professional development and programming can influence the future of our state. MMSA staff includes some of the best talent in STEM education, including researchers and curriculum specialists. We offer an excellent compensation package that includes vacation and sick time, 401(k) plans and more.

Position Title: Research Associate

FTE: 100%

Immediate Supervisor: Alex Brasili

Salary Range: $40,000-$60,000 depending on experience

Qualifications:

Essential Qualifications:

The ideal candidate may bring a broad combination of prior experience including formal classroom teaching, informal STEM education, curriculum design, program evaluation, teacher professional development, and/or structured learning research.

• BA/BS or higher
• At least 3 years of experience contributing to formal or informal science education research. This experience may include research on curriculum development, teacher professional development, student learning, action research projects, etc.
• Proven ability to understand goals, take initiative, and follow-through with attention to detail;
• Demonstrated experience coordinating multiple priorities;
• Strong oral and written communication skills, with the potential to contribute to academic writing;
• Demonstrated experience building and maintaining relationships with educators, students, and community partners - both virtually and in-person;
• Experience, comfort, and ease working with teachers and/or youth in formal or informal K-12 science settings;
• Enthusiasm and passion for making a difference in science education; and
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work as an essential and productive member of a team.

Essential Research Skills:

• Ability to communicate and schedule research activity including emailing or phoning research participants, scheduling interviews, and maintaining a record of communication;
• Demonstrated ability to manage and manipulate databases and spreadsheets;
• Experience with quantitative and qualitative data analyses, preference given for experience with quantitative analyses;
• Ability to film and edit video footage for use in research studies;
• Ability to work with project management software such as Microsoft Excel and Word; cloud-based systems such as Google Drive and airtable; and video-conferencing applications such as Zoom. Preference given to individuals with experience in statistical and qualitative analysis software (i.e. SPSS, Nvivo).

Purpose of the position:

This position will be a key team member of the PeBLES2 (Place-Based Learning for Elementary Science at Scale) project at MMSA. The goal of the project is to develop and test a model to support 3rd-5th grade teachers in incorporating locally or culturally relevant place-based phenomena into rigorously tested curricular units that meet the expectations of the NGSS.

The Research Associate will support the PeBLES2 project as an essential team member. This person will be deeply involved in instrument development, survey administration, classroom observations (including filming and editing), student focus groups and interviews, data management, and data analysis. This person will also lend capacity to overall project tasks by assisting with a wide range of project tasks such as recruitment, communication with educators, and overall project support. Day-to-day tasks might include disseminating recruitment materials through a wide variety of platforms, communicating with current and potential pilot teachers, supporting the development of professional learning resources, etc.

The Research Associate will:

• Conduct interviews with educators and students, by phone, online, and in-person;
• Prepare data collection tools and other materials for fieldwork;
• Conduct observations of classrooms and professional learning experiences;
• Edit recordings from classrooms and professional learning sessions;
• Take detailed notes and ask clarifying questions where needed;
• Code, organize, and analyze both qualitative and quantitative data;
• Write and edit reports;
• Create and maintain data storage and documentation systems;
• Communicate and coordinate with educators, and,
• Other duties as assigned.

Once established at MMSA, this position will likely take on responsibility across two to three projects at MMSA depending on experience and interest.

This position will require travel, including overnights, to locations elsewhere in Maine and across the nation. Travel expenses are reimbursed by MMSA.

Please send a letter of interest that outlines your experience against each of the selection criteria above and resume by email to [email protected] or by regular mail to Human Resource Director, PO Box 2246, Augusta, Maine 04338.

Materials should be submitted by September 30 to ensure full consideration.

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