A thematic analysis of interviews reveals how a STEM faculty development program supported the complexity of implementing evidence-based teaching

Abstract

We sought to identify which aspects of our professional development program, the Consortium for the Advancement of Undergraduate STEM Education (CAUSE), were most useful for the participants. CAUSE was designed to support STEM faculty as they implement evidence-based teaching practices. We interviewed six faculty participants (Fellows) to address two questions: (1) Which aspects of CAUSE were useful for participants? and (2) What factors influenced implementation of evidencebased teaching? We conducted a qualitative thematic analysis of the interviews by iteratively coding the transcripts and organizing final codes into themes. We found five themes. Two themes addressed the social and educational value CAUSE offered. Fellows valued curated references with empirical evidence of the impact of teaching practices on student learning and valued the strong social support from interacting with a consistent cohort of faculty over time. Three themes identified factors that influenced faculty to implement evidence-based teaching. Fellows explained that class context and their teaching experience or motivation influenced how they implemented teaching practices. A final theme showed Fellows’ strong concern and respect for students as partners in the learning process during their journey of change. Our qualitative analysis of faculty interviews found that change is a complex process that is as varied as the individuals engaging in change.