Improving Student Success in STEM by Improving Faculty Teaching

该项目是加州州立大学，圣贝纳迪诺（CSUSB），一个综合性的西班牙裔服务机构与近21，000名学生，其中大部分是第一代大学生的多元化的学生团体的机构转型项目。这个转型项目的一个主要目标是通过改善学生的学习来提高本科生在STEM学科的保留率。项目团队的重点是使用持续的专业发展的教学方法为干教师，包括相关的激励措施，以改善学习环境。该项目的目标是：增加知识，理解和有效利用包容性，以证据为基础的教学实践和课程设计之间的新的和有经验的，兼职和全职教师;提高系主任的能力，以有效地支持和评估教师在教学领域;并建立能力和可持续性，为教师提供专业发展，是对我们的学生群体，学生学习和评估数据，教师的需求和兴趣，以及机构不断发展的背景。 实现这一目标的战略是实施和维持一个专业发展的实践模式社区，其中包括四种不同类型的教师学习社区：新的教师定向计划; STEM学院的兼职和全职教师;系主任学习社区;和一个促进者的学习社区。一个特别的项目重点是了解造成女性和代表性不足的少数民族学生流失的具体因素，以及循证教学实践在减轻这些因素方面可以发挥的作用。该项目第五年的重点是传播。在与加州州立大学校长办公室的合作中，PI团队将在所有CSU校园创建专业的学习社区，以帮助其他人适应和采用他们的变革模式。从这个项目中学到的东西有可能帮助其他机构的STEM项目。PI团队将在项目的第三年开始分享有关如何采取一致的方法来支持，发展和评估STEM教师的信息，以最终使学生受益。 PI团队对四种不同类型的教师学习社区的设计借鉴了Kezar（2013）的变革理论和Wenger（2000）的专业学习实践模型社区。将特别强调了解导致STEM领域女性和代表性不足的少数民族学生流失的具体因素，如文化孤立，文化不一致，缺乏临界质量，支持系统不足（科尔&Espinoza，2008年; Fries-Britt，Younger& Hall，2010年; Lagesen，2007年; Maton，Pollard，McDougall Weise& Hrabowski，2012年; Museus& Liverman，2010年; Villareal，Cabrera& Friedrich，2012年）;缺乏自我效能感（Baber，Pifer，Colbeck，&Furman，2010年; Byars-Winston，Estrada，&霍华德，2008年;科尔&Espinoza，2008年）;“冷冰冰的”的课堂气候和教师中的偏见（Atkinson，2012;科尔等人，2008; Diekman等人，2010），以及循证教学实践在减轻这些因素方面的作用。

This project is an institutional transformation project at California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB), a comprehensive Hispanic Serving Institution with a diverse student body of nearly 21,000 students most of whom are first generation college students. A major goal of this transformation project is to improve undergraduate student retention in the STEM disciplines by improving student learning. The focus of the project team is to use sustained professional development in instructional methods for STEM faculty, including associated incentives, to improve the learning environment. The objectives of the project are to: increase the knowledge, understanding, and effective use of inclusive, evidence-based teaching practices and course-design among new and experienced, part-time and full-time faculty; increase the ability of department chairs to effectively support and evaluate faculty in the area of teaching; and build the capacity and sustainability for offering faculty professional development that is responsive to our student population, student learning and assessment data, faculty needs and interest, and the institution's evolving context. The strategy for reaching this goal is to implement and sustain a community of practice model of professional development that will encompass four different types of faculty learning communities: a new faculty orientation program; STEM institutes for part- and full-time faculty members; department chair learning communities; and a facilitators' learning community. A special project focus is understanding the specific factors that contribute to the attrition of both female and underrepresented minority students and the role evidence-based teaching practices can play in mitigating these factors. The fifth year of the project will focus on dissemination. In collaboration with the California State University Chancellor's Office, the PI team will create professional learning communities at all CSU campuses to help others adapt and adopt their change model. What is learned from this project has the potential to help STEM programs at other institutions. The PI team will share information beginning in the third year of the project about how to take a coherent approach to supporting, developing, and evaluating the STEM faculty for the ultimate benefit of the students. The PI team's design of the four different types of faculty learning communities draw on Kezar's (2013) theory of change and Wenger's (2000) community of practice model for professional learning. Particular emphasis will be placed on understanding specific factors that contribute to attrition of female and underrepresented minority students in the STEM fields, such as cultural isolation, cultural incongruence, lack of critical mass, inadequate support systems (Cole & Espinoza, 2008; Fries-Britt, Younger & Hall, 2010; Lagesen, 2007; Maton, Pollard, McDougall Weise & Hrabowski, 2012; Museus & Liverman, 2010; Villareal, Cabrera & Friedrich, 2012); lack of self-efficacy (Baber, Pifer, Colbeck, & Furman, 2010; Byars-Winston, Estrada, & Howard, 2008; Cole & Espinoza, 2008); "chilly" classroom climates, and perceived bias among faculty (Atkinson, 2012; Cole et al, 2008; Diekman et al, 2010), and the role evidence-based teaching practices can play in mitigating these factors.