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）显着提高学生在科学，技术，工程和数学（STEM）本科课程的学习和保留。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。该项目旨在通过检查RBIS的使用和确定影响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数学（微积分I II），化学（普通化学）和物理学（定量物理学入门）入门STEM课程的教师。教师将包括四种类型的机构（大专院校，学士学位学院，硕士学院和博士大学）的人。在第二阶段，将邀请一部分调查答卷人参加访谈，以调查调查中确定的重要主题。研究项目的主要目的是：（1）建立能力，以记录实施RBIS的变化;（2）评估个人，部门，机构和学科在形成教学决策实施RBIS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。全国调查后，深入访谈将建立数学和化学教师的基线数据，并将提供一个更新和扩展的快照后，2008年的物理教师的调查。基于数据的嵌套结构，将使用分层线性模型来检查定量调查数据。定性访谈数据将进行分析，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（或非意义），并提供对RBIS实施的更细致入微的定性理解，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.