Broadening Participation Research: Relationship between targeted faculty development and student success in introductory science courses at an HBCU community college

该项目将审查在HBCU社区学院(CC)对理科教员进行两种教学技术(阅读学徒和批判性思维技能培养)培训，并随后通过重新设计和实施入门理科课程来支持受过培训的教员，将在多大程度上改善学生的学习结果，特别是社区学院的少数族裔学生。阅读学徒教学法侧重于加强学科科学阅读技能，将解决阿拉巴马州中西部社区大学生的学业发展需求，该地区被称为严重贫困、公共教育不足、健康状况差和高失业率的黑带。批判性思维技能发展教学法将把重点从单纯覆盖社区学院的科学内容，以填补学生准备工作的空白，转变为培养学生的批判性思维和推理能力，以提高学生的问题解决能力。该项目将提供关于在HBCU社区学院教授科学的有效方法的知识，并可能推广到其他社区学院。

The project will examine the extent to which training science faculty members at an HBCU community college (CC) in two teaching techniques (Reading Apprenticeship and critical thinking skill development) and subsequently supporting trained faculty through introductory science course redesign and implementation will result in improved student learning outcomes, particularly for minority students at the community college. The reading apprenticeship pedagogy focusing on strengthening disciplinary science reading skills would address the academic developmental needs of entering community college students in west central Alabama, known as the Black Belt for the acute poverty, inadequate public education, poor health, and high unemployment that exists in the region. The critical thinking skill development pedagogy would change the focus from simply covering science content at the community college to fill gaps in student preparation to developing their critical thinking and reasoning to improve students' problem solving ability. The project will contribute knowledge on what are effective approaches in teaching science in an HBCU community college specifically, and could generalize to other community colleges.