Collaborative Research: Evaluating the Uptake of Research-Based Instructional Strategies in Undergraduate Chemistry, Mathematics, & Physics

有充分的证据表明，使用基于研究的教学策略（RBIS）可以显著提高学生在科学、技术、工程和数学（STEM）本科课程中的学习和记忆。然而，很少有大规模的努力来记录RBIS的使用，并解释为什么它们没有被STEM教师更广泛地使用。本项目旨在通过检查RBIS的使用并确定影响RBIS在本科STEM教育中实施的因素来填补知识空白。在研究的第一阶段，项目团队将调查教授STEM入门课程的教师，这些课程包括数学（微积分I & II）、化学（普通化学）和物理（定量物理入门）。教员将包括来自四种机构（副学院、学士学院、硕士学院和博士大学）的人员。在第二阶段，一部分调查应答者将被邀请参加旨在调查调查中确定的重要主题的访谈。该研究项目的主要目标是：(1)建立记录RBIS实施变化的能力；(2)评估个人、部门、机构和学科在制定实施RBIS的教学决策中的重要性；(3)测试一组关于教师如何以及为什么使用RBIS的假设。这次全国调查将建立数学和化学教师的基线数据，并将在2008年对物理教师的调查之后提供更新和扩展的快照。基于数据的嵌套结构，采用层次线性模型对定量调查数据进行检验。定性访谈数据将被分析，以确定影响RBIS实施的个别因素、主题或因素模式。该设计非常适合解释结果的定量意义（或非显著性），并提供对RBIS实施的更细致、定性的理解，以及在STEM学科和机构类型中使用RBIS的原因。

It is well documented that the use of Research-Based Instructional Strategies (RBIS) significantly improves learning and retention of students in undergraduate courses in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Yet, there are few large-scale efforts to document the use of RBIS and to explain why they are not more widely used by STEM faculty. This project aims to fill the knowledge gap by examining the use of RBIS and identifying factors that influence implementation of RBIS in undergraduate STEM education. During Phase I of the study, the project team will survey faculty who teach introductory STEM courses in mathematics (Calculus I & II), Chemistry (General Chemistry), and Physics (Introductory Quantitative Physics). The faculty will include people from four types of institutions (associate's colleges, baccalaureate colleges, master's colleges, and doctoral universities). During Phase II, a subset of survey respondents will be invited to participate in interviews that are designed to investigate important themes identified in the survey. The primary aims of the research project are to (1) build capacity to document changes in the implementation of RBIS; (2) estimate the importance of individuals, departments, institutions, and disciplines in shaping instructional decisions to implement RBIS; and (3) test a set of hypotheses on how and why instructors use RBIS. The national survey followed by in-depth interviews will establish baseline data for mathematics and chemistry faculty, and will provide an updated and extended snapshot following a 2008 survey of physics faculty. Based on the nested structure of the data, hierarchical linear modeling will be used to examine the quantitative survey data. Qualitative interview data will be analyzed to identify the individual factors, themes, or patterns of factors influencing the implementation of RBIS. The design is well-suited for explaining the quantitative significance (or non-significance) of the results and for providing a more nuanced, qualitative understanding of the implementation of RBIS and reasons for their use across STEM disciplines and types of institutions.