Department of Mathematics and Statistics, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182.
Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602.
CBE Life Sci Educ. 2024 Mar;23(1):es1. doi: 10.1187/cbe.23-06-0103.
Change theory has increasingly become an area of scholarship in STEM education. While this area has traditionally been a topic for organizational psychology, business management, communication studies, and higher education, STEM education researchers are increasingly aware of the need to use formal theories to guide change efforts and research. Formal change theory encompasses our current research-based knowledge about how and why change occurs, and therefore, can guide the selection and design of promising interventions. Yet learning about and using theory is challenging because many of us have no formal training in this area and relevant scholarship comes from many different disciplines. Inconsistent terminology creates an additional barrier. Thus, this essay aims to contribute to a common lexicon in STEM higher educational change efforts by clearly distinguishing between formalized change theory, which emerges from research, and a theory of change, which guides the logic of a specific project. We also briefly review the current state of the field regarding the use of formal change theory and provide examples of how change theory has been used in biology education. Lastly, we offer practical guidance for researchers and change agents who wish to more intentionally and effectively use change theory in their work.
变革理论在 STEM 教育领域的研究中越来越受到重视。虽然这一领域传统上一直是组织心理学、企业管理、传播学和高等教育的研究课题，但 STEM 教育研究人员越来越意识到需要使用正式理论来指导变革工作和研究。正式的变革理论包含了我们目前关于变革如何发生以及为什么发生的基于研究的知识，因此可以指导有前途的干预措施的选择和设计。然而，学习和使用理论是具有挑战性的，因为我们中的许多人没有接受过这方面的正式培训，相关的学术研究来自许多不同的学科。不一致的术语又增加了一个障碍。因此，本文旨在通过明确区分从研究中产生的正式变革理论和指导特定项目逻辑的变革理论，为 STEM 高等教育变革努力建立一个共同的词汇。我们还简要回顾了目前在使用正式变革理论方面的领域现状，并提供了一些生物学教育中使用变革理论的例子。最后，我们为希望在工作中更有意和有效地使用变革理论的研究人员和变革推动者提供了实用的指导。
