RAPID: A mixed-method investigation of the role of faculty mindset beliefs during the transition to online education as compelled by the COVID-19 pandemic

COVID大流行导致的向在线教学的过渡给美国的大学教师带来了巨大的不确定性，他们中的许多人以前从未在网上授课。这项研究将探讨教师对自己和学生的心态，以及教师对大学/学院系统有关过渡的信息的看法，与他们对快速过渡在线教学的挑战的反应，他们提供的教学质量，以及因此，学生在2020年春季COVID-19大流行期间STEM课程的态度和学习成果。鉴于COVID-19对日常生活造成的干扰造成了很大的压力，教师的态度和信念可能对决定教师的反应模式至关重要，特别是他们是否以及如何适应和过渡在线课程。教师的反应可能反映了对以下问题的根深蒂固的信念：（a）STEM内容的性质（相对固定和不变）;（B）认为自己只是相对固定内容的提供者，以及（c）学生学习STEM材料的能力。了解教师的心态如何影响STEM教师在在线教学时采用的教学实践-以及这些实践如何影响学生的动机，学习和表现-可以帮助教师通过提前发展专业发展来提高未来的适应性。该奖项由人力资源开发部的EHR核心研究计划颁发，使用冠状病毒援助，救济和经济安全（CARES）法案的资金。这项研究将建立在位于弗吉尼亚大学的动机实验室和格鲁吉亚大学系统之间的现有合作关系上，该系统包括整个格鲁吉亚的26所四年制学院和大学。在格鲁吉亚的26个机构大致分为四个部门平均：研究密集型，硕士综合，州立大学和州立学院。机构类型的这种变化将是重要的考虑对教学（与研究）的态度和学生的类型在整个系统中有很大的不同，与更多的研究为重点的机构在他们的招生政策更具选择性。参与者将包括整个格鲁吉亚大学系统的900名教师和参加他们课程的学生。重新设计的调查，课程工件，学习管理系统数据和管理数据将捕捉教师对自己和学生的心态，以及教师对其系统关于过渡的信息的看法，与他们对快速过渡在线教学的挑战的反应，他们提供的教学质量，以及学生在2020年春季COVID-19疫情期间对STEM课程的态度和学习成果。补充学生数据将评估学生对教师在转向在线期间对其教学实践所做的变化以及学习体验质量变化的看法。虽然先前的研究表明，教师的心态形状的教学实践，即使在正常情况下，这项研究将测试假设是否心态信念将特别重要，在快速变化的情况下。了解教师心态如何发挥作用将大大推进理论和理解教师心态在STEM教育中的作用。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The transition to online instruction necessitated by the COVID pandemic has created significant uncertainty for the nation’s college faculty, many of whom have not previously taught online. This research would examine how faculty mindsets about themselves and their students, as well as faculty perceptions of their university/college system’s messages about the transition, relate to their responses to the challenge of rapidly transitioning their teaching online, the quality of instruction they deliver, and, as a result, students’ attitudes and learning outcomes in STEM courses during the Spring 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. Given the high levels of stress caused by the disruption to daily life brought by COVID-19, faculty attitudes and beliefs may be critical in determining the pattern of faculty responses, and in particular, whether and how they adapt and transition their courses online. Faculty responses may reflect deep-seated beliefs about (a) the nature of STEM content (as relatively fixed and unchanging); (b) the view of themselves as simply deliverers of that relatively fixed content, and (c) students’ abilities to learn STEM material. Understanding how faculty mindsets influence the teaching practices that STEM faculty adopt as they move their teaching online – and how these practices influence students’ motivation, learning, and performance – can help faculty become more adaptable in the future by developing professional development in advance. This award is made by the EHR Core Research program in the Division of Human Resource Development, using funds from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.This study will build on an existing partnership between the Motivate Lab, based at the University of Virginia, and the University System of Georgia, which includes 26 four-year colleges and universities throughout Georgia. The 26 institutions in Georgia are divided roughly equally into four sectors: Research-intensive, Masters-comprehensive, State university, and State college. This variation in institution type will be important to consider as attitudes towards teaching (vs. research) and the type of students vary significantly across the system, with the more research-focused institutions being more selective in their admissions policies. Participants will include 900 faculty across the University System of Georgia and the students enrolled in their courses. Retooled surveys, course artifacts, learning management system data, and administrative data will capture how faculty mindsets about themselves and their students, as well as faculty perceptions of their system’s messages about the transition, relate to their responses to the challenge of rapidly transitioning their teaching online, the quality of instruction they deliver, and students’ attitudes and learning outcomes in STEM courses during the Spring 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. Supplementary student data will assess student perceptions about the changes that faculty made to their instructional practices during the move to online, and the changes to the quality of the learning experience. Although prior research demonstrates that faculty mindsets shape teaching practices even under normal circumstances, this research will test hypotheses about whether mindset beliefs will especially matter during periods of rapidly changing circumstances. Learning how faculty mindsets matter will significantly advance theory and understanding of the role of faculty mindsets in STEM education.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.