Science Education Resource Center, Carleton College, Northfield, MN 55057, USA.
Professional Data Analysts Inc., Minneapolis, MN 55414, USA.
Sci Adv. 2017 Feb 15;3(2):e1600193. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.1600193. eCollection 2017 Feb.
We sought to determine whether instructional practices used by undergraduate faculty in the geosciences have shifted from traditional teacher-centered lecture toward student-engaged teaching practices and to evaluate whether the national professional development program On the Cutting Edge (hereinafter Cutting Edge) has been a contributing factor in this change. We surveyed geoscience faculty across the United States in 2004, 2009, and 2012 and asked about teaching practices as well as levels of engagement in education research, scientific research, and professional development related to teaching. We tested these self-reported survey results with direct observations of teaching using the Reformed Teaching Observation Protocol, and we conducted interviews to understand what aspects of Cutting Edge have supported change. Survey data show that teaching strategies involving active learning have become more common, that these practices are concentrated in faculty who invest in learning about teaching, and that faculty investment in learning about teaching has increased. Regression analysis shows that, after controlling for other key influences, faculty who have participated in Cutting Edge programs and who regularly use resources on the Cutting Edge website are statistically more likely to use active learning teaching strategies. Cutting Edge participants also report that learning about teaching, the availability of teaching resources, and interactions with peers have supported changes in their teaching practice. Our data suggest that even one-time participation in a workshop with peers can lead to improved teaching by supporting a combination of affective and cognitive learning outcomes.
我们试图确定地球科学专业的本科教师的教学实践是否已经从传统的以教师为中心的讲座转向以学生为中心的教学实践，并评估国家专业发展计划“前沿”（以下简称“前沿”）是否是这种变化的一个促成因素。我们在 2004 年、2009 年和 2012 年对美国各地的地球科学教师进行了调查，询问了他们的教学实践以及参与教育研究、科学研究和与教学相关的专业发展的程度。我们使用经过改革的教学观察协议（Reformed Teaching Observation Protocol）对这些自我报告的调查结果进行了直接观察教学的测试，并进行了访谈，以了解“前沿”的哪些方面支持了变革。调查数据显示，涉及主动学习的教学策略变得更加普遍，这些实践集中在那些投资于教学学习的教师中，并且教师在教学学习方面的投资有所增加。回归分析表明，在控制其他关键影响因素后，参加过“前沿”项目并经常使用“前沿”网站资源的教师更有可能使用主动学习的教学策略。“前沿”项目的参与者还报告说，教学学习、教学资源的可用性以及与同行的互动支持了他们教学实践的改变。我们的数据表明，即使是与同行进行一次研讨会也可以通过支持情感和认知学习成果的结合来提高教学效果。
