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

大量文献表明，研究型教学策略(RBI)的使用显著提高了科学、技术、工程和数学(STEM)本科课程学生的学习和保持能力。然而，很少有大规模的努力来记录打分的使用，并解释为什么STEM的教职员工没有更广泛地使用它们。该项目旨在通过检查评价指标的使用和确定影响在本科STEM教育中实施评价指标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和AMP；II)、化学(普通化学)和物理(定量物理入门)。教师将包括来自四种类型的机构(专科学院、学士学位学院、硕士学院和博士生大学)的人员。在第二阶段，将邀请一部分调查受访者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的是(1)建立记录实施计分系统变化的能力；(2)评估个人、部门、机构和学科在制定实施计分系统的教学决策方面的重要性；以及(3)检验一组关于教师如何以及为什么使用计分系统的假设。这项全国性调查以及随后的深度访谈将为数学和化学教师建立基线数据，并将提供2008年对物理教师进行调查后的更新和扩展快照。基于数据的嵌套结构，采用分层线性模型对定量调查数据进行检验。将对定性访谈数据进行分析，以确定影响计分系统实施的个别因素、主题或因素模式。该设计非常适合于解释结果的数量意义(或不意义)，并提供一个更细致入微的、定性的理解，以了解成果管理制的实施情况以及在科技、经济、教育和教育学科和各类机构中使用这些指标的原因。

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.