Changing physics and astronomy education culture: A reflective practice model of faculty development to support diversity, equity, inclusion, and excellence

该项目旨在通过教师在其教学中使用以学生为中心的教学实践来改善和扩大对本科生STEM教育的参与，这也促进了物理和天文学的多样性、公平性和包容性。大多数科学、技术、工程和数学(STEM)学院和大学的新教师在开始他们的教学生涯时，几乎没有或根本没有有效教学方法的经验，包括解决和改善多样性、公平性和包容性的方法。为了纠正物理学和天文学中的这一问题，美国物理教师协会、美国天文学会和美国物理学会提议在成功的物理和天文学系讲习班的基础上再接再厉并予以支持。该项目将与弗吉尼亚大学、华盛顿大学(Bothell)和亚利桑那大学的合作伙伴一起，根据参与者反馈、研讨会评估、对教师专业发展的研究以及当今教师的需求，对研讨会进行重大重新设计。加强多样性、公平性和包容性的有效做法将贯穿整个讲习班。除了终身教职教师，该项目还将促进兼职、兼职和主要是教学教师的参与，他们共同教授全国越来越多的物理和天文学课程。项目重新设计将增加四个新的组成部分：(1)由一组准备充分的核心演讲者提供的重组计划，重点是制定参与者的个人发展计划；(2)随着教师作为教育工作者、研究人员和专业人员的成长，总体上强调“全体教职员工”的专业发展；(3)加强研讨会后活动，为研讨会参与者提供指导和反馈，以实施以学生为中心的教学实践；以及(4)研究计划，重点关注教师如何在其作为教育工作者的角色中从新手发展为反思实践者。尽管到目前为止，新学院的研讨会取得了成功，但研究表明，一些教师并没有坚持实施这些教学实践。重新设计的课程将通过培养支持弹性、反思和持续改进教学的思维习惯，并让教师参与包容的教育工作者社区，帮助他们在整个职业生涯中驾驭和整合以学生为中心的教学实践，直接解决这一“实施下降”问题。研究和评估旨在为讲习班和讲习班后活动的改进提供信息，并有助于理解反思性实践在解决本科STEM教育中以学生为中心的教学实践相关的实施差距方面的作用。NSF IUSE：EHR计划支持研究和开发项目，以提高所有学生的STEM教育的有效性。通过机构和社区转型轨道，该计划支持高等教育机构和学科社区转变和改进STEM教育的努力。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This project aims to improve and broaden participation in undergraduate STEM education through faculty use of student centered pedagogical practices in their teaching that also foster diversity, equity, and inclusion in physics and astronomy. Most new college and university faculty in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) begin their teaching careers with little or no experience with methods of effective pedagogy, including methods for addressing and improving diversity, equity, and inclusion. To remedy this problem in physics and astronomy, the American Association of Physics Teachers, the American Astronomical Society, and the American Physical Society propose to build on and bolster the successful series of Physics and Astronomy Faculty Workshops. With partners from the University of Virginia, the University of Washington (Bothell), and the University of Arizona, the project will implement a significant redesign of the workshops based on what has been learned from participant feedback, workshop evaluations, research into faculty professional development, and the needs of today’s faculty. Effective practices for enhancing diversity, equity and inclusion will be integrated throughout the workshops. In addition to tenure-track faculty, the project will foster the participation of adjunct, part-time, and primarily instructional faculty, who, collectively, teach an increasing fraction of physics and astronomy courses across the country. The project redesign will add four new components: (1) a restructured program delivered by a core set of well-prepared presenters, focusing on the development of participants’ Individual Development Plans; (2) an overarching emphasis on the professional development of the “whole faculty member,” as faculty members grow as educators, researchers, and professionals; (3) an enhanced set of post-workshop activities to provide coaching and feedback for the workshop participants as they implement student-centered instructional practices; and (4) a research program focusing on how faculty develop from novices to reflective practitioners in their role as educators. Despite the successes of the New Faculty Workshops to date, studies show that some faculty members do not persist in implementing those pedagogical practices. The redesigned program will directly address this "implementation dip" by developing habits of mind that support resilience, reflection, and continuous improvement of teaching, and engaging faculty in an inclusive community of educators that helps them navigate and integrate student-centered teaching practices throughout their careers. The research and evaluation are designed to inform the improvement of workshops and post-workshop activities and contribute to an understanding of the role of reflective practice in tackling the implementation gap associated with sustaining student centered pedagogical practice in undergraduate STEM education. The NSF IUSE: EHR Program supports research and development projects to improve the effectiveness of STEM education for all students. Through the Institutional and Community Transformation track, the program supports efforts to transform and improve STEM education across institutions of higher education and disciplinary communities.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.