FIRSTIV:Faculty Institutes for Reforming Science Teaching for Postdoctoral Research Scholars

这个面向博士后学者的多机构专业发展项目正在塑造他们对本科生生物学教学的信念和方法，最终改善学生的学习。该项目的重点是创建一个由200名博士后学者组成的全国性网络，他们在担任学术机构的教师角色之前，已经做好了科学教学的准备并得到了指导。专业发展活动明确地将科学研究原则与科学教学原则联系起来。已建立的地区外地办事处领导小组正在举办专业发展讲习班，为教学提供指导，为博士后学者提供长期支持，并推进他们自己的教学和教育奖学金。博士后学者们正在学习教学策略，在科学教学的基础上构建一门完整的生物学课程。他们正在采用已有的材料和工具，这些材料和工具是以学习者为中心的，并由其他教师进行测试和验证。预计博士后学者将正式开始他们的新教职，准备带着一门课程任教。该项目正在评估专业发展对博士后理解和实施科学的教学方法和积极的以学生为中心的学习的影响。正在通过第一个网站和第一个评估数据库传播新课程，该数据库与国家博士后协会、国家科技与经济研究中心数字图书馆和科学学会的网站相连接。这些专业发展和教学改革模式的有效性正在通过出版物和基于对博士后学者在其原有和新的机构职位上的分析而发表的演讲来传播。

This multi-institution professional development project for postdoctoral scholars is shaping their beliefs about and approaches to teaching undergraduate biology, to ultimately result in improved student learning. The project focuses on creating a national network of 200 postdoctoral scholars who are prepared and mentored in scientific teaching before they assume faculty roles in academic institutions. The professional development activities explicitly link the principles of scientific research with those of scientific teaching. Established Regional Field Station (RFS) leadership teams are implementing professional development workshops, providing mentoring in teaching and long-term support for postdoctoral scholars, and advancing their own teaching and scholarship in education. The postdoctoral scholars are learning teaching strategies and constructing an entire biology course based on scientific teaching. They are adapting pre-existing materials and tools that are learner-centered, and tested and validated by other faculty. It is anticipated that the postdoctoral scholars will begin their new faculty positions formally prepared to teach with a course in hand. The project is evaluating the effect of professional development on postdoctoral understanding and implementation of the scientific approach to teaching and active student-centered learning. The new courses are being disseminated through the FIRST web site and the FIRST Assessment Database, which is linked to websites of the National Postdoctoral Association, the National STEM Digital Library and scientific societies. The effectiveness of these professional development and teaching reform models is being disseminated through publications and presentations based on analyses of the postdoctoral scholars in their original and new institutional positions.