WIDER: EAGER: Evidence-based Instructional Practices at WMU: An Examination of Instructor Practices, Institutional Climate, and Social Networks

这个催化剂自我评估项目将记录目前在西密歇根大学（WMU）本科STEM课程中使用循证教学实践的情况。WMU是一所卡内基分类研究型大学，拥有25，000名学生。该项目将涉及艺术与科学学院以及WMU工程与应用科学学院的所有STEM教师（N=634）。这包括全职教师（N=268终身制或终身制轨道和N=18非终身制轨道），兼职教师（N=65），和研究生助教（N=283）。在第一阶段，将对教师进行以下方面的调查：i）他们最常用的教学方法，ii）他们对教学环境的看法（即，三）与他们讨论与教学和学习有关的问题的同事的网络。自我报告的教学方法的使用将由受过训练的评分员（使用RTOP仪器）对教师的子集进行观察。还将为这些教师建立一个研究合作社交网络。在第二阶段，一个部门的子集（N=3）将参与协作自我和案例研究与研究团队，以解决这些障碍和挑战，以教学改革中最注意的文献。数据收集将包括教学观察以及与教师和学生的访谈。特别强调将放在该部门提供的基础课程，具有高流失率，并需要在该学科的进一步研究或其他学习计划的先决条件。这些数据将为WMU计划和实施机构范围内的基础，但有针对性的，改变策略，以支持教师使用循证教学。本项目结合了与高等教育教学实践相关的几种以前独立的方法：实践的自我报告，教学气氛的调查，与教学相关的社会网络和教学观察。正如研究文献所建议的那样，该项目团队是多层次和多学科的，代表了三个关注STEM变革的学者社区：两个活跃的基于学科的科学教育研究人员，WMU教师发展主任，WMU教务长和研究生院WMU院长。项目团队的所有成员都有丰富的STEM教育改革经验。拟议的研究不仅包括全职教师，而且兼职教师和研究生。这最后两个群体通常不参与这样的项目，但他们在WMU（和许多其他机构）提供了重要而重要的教学角色，特别是在基础课程中。这些团体必须包括在内，以便使机构改革努力真正全面。最后，本研究将衡量教师对组织的影响，包括组织影响和个人影响，通过关系网络。这些影响尚未得到必要的审查，以支持制定循证变革战略。该项目旨在为WMU更多地使用循证教学奠定基础。这将提高STEM学科的教学质量，减少STEM领域的学生流失，并有望提高学生的参与度，从而提高整体学位完成率。因此，该项目将影响STEM专业以外的学生，以及整个机构的部门和项目。除了满足WMU的需要外，该项目还将为其他开始类似进程的机构提供一个模式。提出的数据收集方法的类型并不难使用，但在高等教育机构中根本没有使用（社会网络分析）或很少使用（教学气氛）。所有高等教育机构的领导者都希望改善STEM教学。本研究中使用的数据收集工具在机构中的使用增加，将有助于其他机构更好地了解它们必须开展工作的基础。

This catalyst self-assessment project will document the current use of evidence-based instructional practices in undergraduate STEM courses at Western Michigan University (WMU). WMU is a Carnegie classification Research Extensive University with a student population of 25,000. This project will involve all STEM instructors in the College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences at WMU (N=634). This includes full-time faculty (N=268 tenured or tenure track and N=18 not tenure track), part-time instructors (N=65), and graduate student teaching assistants (N=283). During Phase 1, instructors will be surveyed regarding: i) their most commonly used teaching and learning approaches, ii) their perceptions of the teaching environment (i.e., climate) within their departments and the university, and iii) the networks of colleagues with whom they discuss issues related to teaching and learning. Self-reported use of teaching approaches will be supplemented by observations of a subset of faculty by trained raters (using the RTOP instrument). A research collaboration social network will also be constructed for these instructors. During Phase 2, a subset of departments (N=3) will engage in collaborative self- and case-studies with the research team to address those barriers and challenges to instructional change most noted in the literature. Data collection will include observations of teaching as well as interviews with instructors and students. Particular emphasis will be placed on the foundational courses offered by the department that have high attrition rates and are required for further study in the discipline or are prerequisites for other programs of study. These data will set a foundation for WMU to plan and implement institution-wide, but contextually targeted, change strategies to support instructor use of evidence-based instruction. Intellectual Merit This project combines several previously separate methods related to teaching practices in higher education: self-report of practices, survey of teaching climate, social network related to teaching, and teaching observations. As recommended by the research literature, the project team is multi-level and multi-disciplinary, representing three communities of scholars concerned with STEM change: two active disciplinary-based science education researchers, the WMU director of faculty development, the WMU Provost and the WMU Dean of the Graduate College. All members of the project team have significant prior experience with STEM education reforms. The proposed study includes not only full-time faculty, but also part-time instructors and graduate students. These last two groups are often not involved in projects like this, but they provide significant and important instructional roles at WMU (and many other institutions), particularly in foundational courses. These groups must be included for institutional change efforts to be truly comprehensive. Finally, this project will measure the influences on instructors, including both the organizational influence and personal influences through networks of relationships. These influences have not been examined to the extent necessary to support the development of evidence-based change strategies. Broader Impacts This project is designed to build the foundation for increased use of evidence-based instruction at WMU. This will improve instructional quality in STEM subjects and reduce student attrition from STEM fields, and is also expected to improve student engagement, thus improving degree completion rates overall. The project therefore will impact students beyond STEM majors, and departments and programs throughout the institution. In addition to serving the needs of WMU, this project will provide a model for other institutions beginning similar processes. The types of data collection methods proposed are not difficult to use, but have been used not at all (social network analysis) or very little (teaching climate) in higher education institutions. The leaders at all higher education institutions want to improve STEM instruction. Increased institutional use of the data collection tools used in this study will help other institutions to better understand the foundation from which they have to work.