Faculty Motivation for Scholarly Teaching and Innovative Classroom Practice—An Empirical Study

Abstract

The transformation of undergraduate science and math education will require broad-based faculty motivation to integrate innovative evidence-based pedagogies into classroom practice and advance scholarship in teaching and learning. Currently, the traditional lecture approach remains the dominant model in these disciplines. While research suggests that high-impact practices and active learning pedagogies may improve the success of students from historically underrepresented groups (HUGs), faculty must be motivated to invest their time and effort to do this work. Consequently, three strands of motivation theory (motivation, self-determination, and self-efficacy) may provide a framework for exploring faculty adoption and advancement of potentially transformative practices. Herein, motivation theory can support our investigation of the personal and institutional dynamics that promote and/or hinder faculty integration of high-impact and evidence-based pedagogical innovations into classroom practice. The study reported in this chapter uses quantitative methods to explore faculty engagement in scholarly teaching and other innovative educational practices that purport to increase success of HUGs in the STEM fields at a land-grant doctoral research university in the southeastern region of the USA. The university has a historical mission of educating HUGs and a designation of HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities). One primary research question guides this effort: “To what extent do HBCU STEM faculty feel motivated to engage in high-impact, evidence-based pedagogies?” This work is important in the broader STEM education community for understanding how to foster faculty engagement in transforming the paradigm of instruction in the college classroom with a focus on student success.