Challenging instructors to change: a mixed methods investigation on the effects of material development on the pedagogical beliefs of geoscience instructors

Michael A Pelch,David A Mcconnell

doi:10.1186/s40594-016-0039-y

Michael A Pelch, David A Mcconnell

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1186/s40594-016-0039-y

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Abstract

STEM educational reform encourages a transition from instructor-centered passive learning environments to student-centered, active learning environments. Instructors adopting these changes incorporate research-validated teaching practices that improve student learning. Professional development that trains faculty to implement instructional reforms plays a key role in supporting this transition. The most effective professional development experiences are those that not only help an instructor redesign a course, but that also result in a permanent realignment of the teaching beliefs of participating instructors. Effective professional development features authentic, rigorous experiences of sufficient duration. We investigated changes in the teaching beliefs of college faculty resulting from their participation in the Interdisciplinary Teaching about the Earth for a Sustainable Future (InTeGrate) project that guided them in the development of reformed instructional materials for introductory college science courses. A convergent parallel mixed methods design was employed using the Teacher Belief Interview, the Beliefs About Reformed Science Teaching and Learning survey, and participants’ reflections on their experience to characterize pedagogical beliefs at different stages of their professional development. Qualitative and quantitative data show a congruent change toward reformed pedagogical beliefs for the majority of participants. The majority of participants’ Teacher Belief Interview (TBI) scores improved toward more student-centered pedagogical beliefs. Instructors who began with the most traditional pedagogical beliefs showed the greatest gains. Interview data and participants’ reflections aligned with the characteristics of effective professional development. Merged results suggest that the most significant changes occurred in areas strongly influenced by situational classroom factors. The process of materials development employed in the InTeGrate project is comprised of rigorous, authentic, and collaborative experiences continued over a sufficient duration. Incorporating these characteristics in to a professional development program on a variety of scales can help promote the long-term adoption of reformed teaching strategies. Collaboration among geoscience professionals was one of the predominant drivers for change. Consequently, this research provides insight for the development of future professional development opportunities seeking to better prepare instructors to implement reformed instructional strategies in their classrooms.

Highlights

STEM educational reform encourages a transition from instructor-centered passive learning environments to student-centered, active learning environments
Fifteen of the twenty-one participants improved their Teacher Belief Interview (TBI) scores representing a shift toward more student-centered pedagogical beliefs, five instructors showed no change in their beliefs, and one instructor’s TBI score decreased in their post-development interview
Responses to four TBI questions (How do you maximize learning in your class? How do you describe your role as a teacher? How do you know when learning is occurring in your classroom? How do your students learn science best?) do not show significant shifts between the pre- and post-development interviews (Fig. 4)

Summary

Introduction

STEM educational reform encourages a transition from instructor-centered passive learning environments to student-centered, active learning environments Instructors adopting these changes incorporate research-validated teaching practices that improve student learning. A principal goal of STEM educational reform is to encourage a shift from instructor-centered classrooms where students are largely passive to student-centered environments where learning is an active process (Singer et al 2012; Singer and Smith 2013) This transition has been supported by the development of research-validated teaching strategies that have been shown to improve student learning (Freeman et al 2014; Handelsman et al 2004; Kober 2015; Singer and Smith 2013) and reduce the achievement gap among student populations (Eddy and Hogan 2014; Haak et al 2011). Shifting the pedagogical beliefs of instructors toward a reformed mindset is essential if professional development is to positively influence teaching in STEM classrooms (Keys and Bryan 2001)

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