Promoting STEM faculty members’ DBER literacy: Findings from an internal grant program

Abstract

Listen

Translate article

Discipline-based education research (DBER) constitutes bridging theoretical knowledge and educational practice to advance learning while accounting for the contextual features and nuances that are important to a discipline. DBER literacy enables faculty members to understand and apply evidence-based instructional strategies to advance student learning. Thus, developing STEM faculty members’ DBER literacy is critical for improving STEM programs. The purpose of this study was to explore the development of DBER literacy among STEM faculty at a large Midwestern university via implementation of an internal seed grant program (the SEIRI Seed Grant, or SSG). Guided by social network analyses and literature on communities of practice, we addressed three research questions: (1) What factors facilitated DBER literacy among STEM faculty who participated in the SSG program? (2) In what ways did the program contribute to faculty members’ understanding of DBER? and (3) What other outcomes resulted from faculty members’ engagement in the program? To address these questions, we examined and triangulated small group interviews, observations, and program artifacts. First, we identified key learning components of the program, which included faculty members’ intrinsic motivation, peer dialogue and engagement, and institutional DBER support. Second, we identified DBER-related outcomes resulting from program participation, which included differentiating between DBER and STEM research, connecting DBER with teaching, and finding novel DBER outcomes. Finally, we identified auxiliary outcomes, which included fueling faculty members’ motivation to engage in DBER, general professional development, and departmental change. These findings highlight the successes and outcomes of this internal grant funding program for promoting DBER literacy and can provide guidance for others offering similar programming.