Examining the influence of and a mentoring network on teaching philosophies and strategies.

The 2011 report () resulted from a national effort to rethink biology curriculum. outlines core concepts and core competencies for biology undergraduates and promotes evidence-based pedagogy, undergraduate research, and inclusive practices. However, it is unclear how much biology educators know about and what motivates educators' development of their teaching philosophy and practices. We leveraged the Promoting Active Learning and Mentoring (PALM) Network, a group that introduced evidence-based instructional practices (EBIPs) to instructors through mentoring, journal clubs, and a community of practice, to investigate how much has influenced educator knowledge and motivation. Through focus groups, 16 mentors and 22 fellows were asked about their motivations to join PALM, familiarity with , how they learned about , and how PALM and/or shaped the development of their teaching philosophies and strategies. We found that the teaching philosophies and practices of these educators align strongly with principles. provided expectancy (established value), while PALM contributed to greater instructor self-efficacy in EBIPs, overall resulting in reformed teaching philosophies and practices. This model highlights the importance of mentorship and community to successfully drive biology education reform.