Abstract

Traditional teaching practices in undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses have failed to support student success, causing many students to leave STEM fields and disproportionately affecting women and students of color. Although much is known about effective STEM teaching practices, many faculty continue to adhere to traditional methods, such as lecture. In this study, we investigated the factors that affect STEM faculty members' instructional decisions about evidence-based instructional practices (EBIPs). We performed a qualitative analysis of semistructured interviews with faculty members from the Colleges of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Life Sciences, and Engineering who took part in the STEM Faculty Institute (STEMFI) professional development program at the university. We also observed the participants' teaching behaviors using the Classroom Observation Protocol for Undergraduate STEM (COPUS) and investigated the relationship between faculty teaching behaviors and the individual, social, and contextual factors identified from the interview data. We found that internal factors, including attitudes and self-efficacy, were significantly correlated with student-centered teaching behaviors, while social and contextual factors were not significantly correlated with teaching behaviors. This result suggests that in addition to promoting positive teaching cultures and reducing barriers, efforts to support faculty change should emphasize changing faculty attitudes.

Degree

PhD

College and Department

David O. McKay School of Education; Educational Inquiry, Measurement, and Evaluation

Rights

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