Research Initiation: Understanding the Impact of Engineering Faculty's Mindset on Instructional Practice, Learning Environment, and Teacher Authenticity

最近，工程领域的研究人员开始转向理解包容性教育模式如何帮助工程专业增加本科工程专业的学生留校和毕业人数。先前的研究表明，教育者对学生能力的看法对学生的成功很重要。研究还表明，有效的教学方法和学习环境可以促进真实的学习体验，学生积极参与，寻求更深层次的意义，理解和课程材料的实际应用。这与更高的学生考试成绩、留校率和毕业率有关。对教师信仰如何影响教学方法、学习环境和教师真诚的研究程度较低。最近的一些研究考虑了教师的教学选择和互动如何将工程教育环境转变为更具包容性的环境。表征教师对学术能力与教学方法、学习环境和教师真诚度的信念之间的相关性可以拓宽我们对本科工程专业包容性教学实践的理解。本研究基于Carol S. Dweck所定义的固定与成长心态的建构。拥有固定心态的人将智力归因于固定的特质，而拥有成长型心态的人则将智力归因于学习、努力、训练和实践。具体而言，我们的研究将探讨整体研究问题：教师心态如何影响教学实践、学习环境和教师真实性？在本研究中，教师心态被定义为教师对学生智力的看法。该研究调查了教师对学生智力的看法如何促进包容性和多样性的氛围和文化。理解这些关系对于识别来自不同背景、学习方式和能力的学生成功的潜在障碍具有重要意义。本研究将通过扩大工程教育研究议程，包括从工程教师到学生的成长心态，为改善工程教学和学习奠定基础。这项研究将阐明促进包容性和多样性的气候和文化的策略，这将改善工程教学，对所有学生群体产生积极影响，包括那些传统上在工程领域代表性不足的学生。研究结果将为教师、学生支持计划和管理人员提供建议，他们可以直接实施工程教学法和学习策略的新方法，以提高学术成就、参与度和扩大参与。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Recently, researchers in the field of engineering have begun to turn toward understanding how an inclusive education model can help engineering programs increase the number of students that are retained and graduated from their undergraduate engineering programs. Previous research studies have demonstrated that educators' beliefs about student abilities matter for student success. Research has also shown that effective teaching methods and learning environments can facilitate authentic learning experiences in which students are actively engage, seek deeper meaning, understanding, and real-life applications of the course material. This has been linked to higher student test scores, retention, and graduation rates. What has been investigated to a lesser extent is how the beliefs of faculty members influence teaching methods, learning environments, and teacher genuineness. Some recent studies consider how faculty instructional choices and interactions transform engineering education environments into one that is more inclusive. Characterizing the correlation between faculty members' belief regarding academic abilities and teaching methods, learning environment, and teacher genuineness can broaden our understanding of inclusive teaching practices within undergraduate engineering programs.The study is grounded in the construct of fixed verse growth mindset as defined by Carol S. Dweck. Individuals with a fixed mindset attribute intelligence to fixed traits and those with a growth mindset attribute intelligence to learning, effort, training, and practice. Specifically, our research will explore the overall research question: How does the faculty mindset impact instructional practice, learning environments, and teacher authenticity? In this study, faculty mindset is defined as faculty views of student intelligence. The study investigated how the way faculty views of student intelligence can foster a climate and culture of inclusivity and diversity. Understanding these relationships can have implications in terms of identifying potential barriers to success of students from a variety of backgrounds, learning styles, and abilities. This study will lay the foundation to inform improvements in engineering teaching and learning by broadening the engineering education research agenda to include growth mindsets that translate from engineering faculty to students. This research will illuminate strategies to foster a climate and culture of inclusivity and diversity that will improve teaching and learning in engineering to positively impact all student populations, including those traditionally underrepresented in engineering. The results of the study will produce recommendations for faculty, student support programs, and administrators who can directly implement new approaches to engineering pedagogy and learning strategies that improve academic achievement, engagement, and broadening participation.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.