An official website of the United States government
This lessons learned paper delves into the realm of effective student-centered teaching practices within middle and upper-level engineering classes, with the primary goal of enhancing students' acquisition of disciplinary knowledge. The research is anchored by a central inquiry: what student-centered teaching approaches do exemplary engineering faculty employ to promote knowledge-building in their courses, and how do these approaches align with their beliefs about teaching? To address the research question, the study employed the participatory action research (PAR) methodology, which prioritizes the invaluable input and expertise of participants. A diverse group of participants renowned for their teaching excellence was selected from five departments. A total of ten participants were chosen, and data was collected using a variety of methods, including classroom observations, analysis of course materials, surveys, and focus group discussions. Our observations across various courses have revealed common practices employed by instructors to foster effective learning environments. These practices encompass dynamic and diverse class introductions that utilize strategies like revisiting prior content, storytelling, and addressing student well-being to establish a strong foundation for the session. Throughout the class, instructors consistently maintained student engagement through techniques such as group activities, structured interactions, active problem-solving, and thought-provoking question-and-answer sessions. Visual aids and technology were integral in enhancing content delivery. Instructors also ensured the content was relatable by linking lessons to research findings, relatable examples, and familiar landmarks, grounding theoretical concepts in real-life relevance. Personalized support was a priority, with instructors offering targeted feedback to smaller groups and individual students, including one-on-one sessions for additional assistance. Some instructors introduced unique practices such as debate activities, involving students in decision-making processes, cross-course connections, and specialized problem-solving techniques. These diverse approaches collectively underscore the multifaceted strategies instructors employ to create engaging and effective learning experiences. Another significant initiative undertaken in our study involved organizing a summer workshop that provided a platform for instructors to convene and engage in collaborative discussions regarding their teaching practices and their top five teaching priorities. During this workshop, we also deliberated on the preliminary findings from our data collection. The instructors collectively emphasized the importance of getting students engaged in the learning process. We identified several overarching categories of priorities that held relevance for all instructors, including the establishment of personal relationships with students, the effective organization of course content and class activities, strategies for motivating students, and the integration of course content with real-world applications. During the lightning talk, we will share a comprehensive overview of the study's research findings as well as the importance of student-centered teaching practices in engineering education.
more »
« less
How Expert and Inexpert Instructors Talk about Teaching
Using mixed-method social network analysis, we explored the discussions happening between instructors within a teaching-related network and how instructional expertise correlated with the content of those discussions. Instructional expertise, defined by the extent to which effective teaching practices were implemented, was measured for 82 faculty teaching at a Midwestern research university in the USA using the Faculty Inventory of Methods and Practices Associated with Competent Teaching (F-IMPACT). Eight instructors from this population were interviewed after being selected from a stratified random sample having varied disciplines, positions, years of teaching experience, number of network alters, and quartile F-IMPACT score. Network Canvas was used to design, capture, and export network data during the interview process, and a deductive qualitative analysis approach was used for coding and analysis. In general, expert instructors had larger networks that also consisted of expert alters and greater frequency of discussions throughout the semester (both formal and informal) and participated in discussions centered around best practices and education research. Inexpert instructors had smaller teaching networks that consisted of other inexpert instructors, lower frequency of interactions, and had discussions that centered around sharing course-specific, surface-level advice.
more »
« less
- Award ID(s):
- 2021315
- PAR ID:
- 10488164
- Publisher / Repository:
- MDPI
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Education Sciences
- Volume:
- 13
- Issue:
- 6
- ISSN:
- 2227-7102
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 591
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
More Like this
-
-
We examined the relationship between faculty teaching networks, which can aid with the implementation of didactic high-impact practices (HIPs) in classroom instruction, and the actual implementation of said practices. Participants consisted of STEM faculty members that teach introductory courses at a USA research university. A total of 210 faculty were invited to complete the Teaching Practices Inventory (TPI), which measures the use of classroom-based HIPs, and were then directed to a follow-up survey to gather teaching network data if they qualified. A total of 90 faculty completed the TPI, with 52 respondents completing the network analysis portion. Ego-level data, as well as network structural position data, were collected through roster format listing all invited faculty. No correlations were found between these network metrics and TPI score. Furthermore, respondents with similar TPI scores showed no preference for interactions within their group. For example, faculty with widely varying TPI scores interacted with each other with no indications of HIPs diffusion. Although the literature suggests strong teaching networks are a necessary condition for broad diffusion of HIPs, these results indicate that such networks are not a sufficient condition. This has implications for the diffusion of HIPs specifically and institutional change generally. Engaging individuals that possess both structural positions and pedagogical knowledge may be needed to help strategically diffuse HIPs in their own networks, with institutional support and guidance most likely also required.more » « less
-
Abstract Instructional reform in STEM aims for the widespread adoption of evidence based instructional practices (EBIPS), practices that implement active learning. Research recognizes that faculty social networks regarding discussion or advice about teaching may matter to such efforts. But teaching is not the only priority for university faculty – meeting research expectations is at least as important and, often, more consequential for tenure and promotion decisions. We see value in understanding how research networks, based on discussion and advice about research matters, relate to teaching networks to see if and how such networks could advance instructional reform efforts. Our research examines data from three departments (biology, chemistry, and geosciences) at three universities that had recently received funding to enhance adoption of EBIPs in STEM fields. We evaluate exponential random graph models of the teaching network and find that (a) the existence of a research tie from one faculty member$$i$$ to another$$j$$ enhances the prospects of a teaching tie from$$i$$ to$$j$$ , but (b) even though faculty highly placed in the teaching network are more likely to be extensive EBIP users, faculty highly placed in the research network are not, dimming prospects for leveraging research networks to advance STEM instructional reforms.more » « less
-
Abstract BackgroundChange strategies may leverage interpersonal relationships and conversations to spread teaching innovations among science faculty. Knowledge sharing refers to the process by which individuals transfer information and thereby spread innovative ideas within an organization. We use knowledge sharing as a lens for identifying factors that encourage productive teaching-related conversations between individuals, characterizing the context and content of these discussions, and understanding how peer interactions may shape instructional practices. In this study, we interview 19 science faculty using innovative teaching practices about the teaching-focused conversations they have with different discussion partners. ResultsThis qualitative study describes characteristics of the relationship between discussion partners, what they discuss with respect to teaching, the amount of help-seeking that occurs, and the perceived impacts of these conversations on their teaching. We highlight the role of office location and course overlap in bringing faculty together and characterize the range of topics they discuss, such as course delivery and teaching strategies. We note the tendency of faculty to seek out partners with relevant expertise and describe how faculty perceive their discussion partners to influence their instructional practices and personal affect. Finally, we elaborate on how these themes vary depending on the relationship between discussion partners. ConclusionsThe knowledge sharing framework provides a useful lens for investigating how various factors affect faculty conversations around teaching. Building on this framework, our results lead us to propose two hypotheses for how to promote sharing teaching knowledge among faculty, thereby identifying productive directions for further systematic inquiry. In particular, we propose that productive teaching conversations might be cultivated by fostering collaborative teaching partnerships and developing departmental structures to facilitate sharing of teaching expertise. We further suggest that social network theories and other examinations of faculty behavior can be useful approaches for researching the mechanisms that drive teaching reform.more » « less
-
IntroductionOpen educational resources (OERs) provide instructors access to no-cost lesson materials they can incorporate into their courses. OER lessons can promote the use of innovative and evidence-based educational practices in biology education. Prior research suggests that teaching strategies are often implemented in different ways which can impact student learning. However, few studies have explored how OER lessons are modified to fit their local context. MethodsWe used the teacher-curriculum framework to understand how and why instructors modify these materials. Additionally, we explored how these materials supported instructors in enacting national priorities from Vision and Change. We surveyed 139 instructors who implemented lessons published inCourseSource, a peer-reviewed journal specifically designed to share OERs. ResultsWe found that the majority of instructors who used the lesson materials (e.g., slides, worksheets, assessments, protocols) did so without making substantial modifications, in contrast with prior research. Furthermore, we found that these materials were particularly helpful in incorporating student-centered teaching practices, like group work or discussions, sometimes for the first time. DiscussionThese insights into what instructors value in lesson materials can inform OER publishing guidelines so that these materials best meet instructional needs.more » « less
- Free Publicly Accessible Full Text
-
Accepted Manuscript1.0
- Journal Article:
- https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13060591
