Develop change strategies that shape the system as well as the faculty
As discussed above, STEM change agents typically focus their efforts on changing individual faculty
through various means of dissemination and persuasion. We suggest that dissemination activities
should place more emphasis on understanding the local environment in which instructors teach and
how that environment impacts their ability and inclination to be innovative. Most faculty work in
institutions where structures have been set up to work well with traditional instruction. Thus, there
are many environmental barriers to instructional innovations.
We propose a model to describe how individual and situational characteristics relate to instructional
practices (Figure 3). In this model, individual characteristics consist of an instructor’s conceptions (i.e.,
beliefs, values, knowledge, etc.) about actual or possible instructional practices. Situational characteristics consist of all aspects outside of the individual instructor that impact or are impacted by
the instructors’ instructional practices. All of the barriers described in the previous section are
situational characteristics, but situational characteristics may also include other things such as
availability of instructional resources, institutional reward system, and disciplinary expectations.
According to the model, practice is consistent with conceptions when situational variables support the
practice but may be inconsistent when situational variables are in opposition to a particular practice.
Other studies of college science faculty [32,33] and non‐science faculty [34,35] agree with this
model and suggest that situational factors have a substantial influence on instructional choices. The
problem for advocates of reformed teaching, however, is that that although this influence can be in the
direction of research‐based instruction it is typically in the direction of traditional instruction. As
described earlier, the development and dissemination model of change has resulted in change agents
focusing the majority of their efforts on moving instructors’ individual tendencies to become more
alternative. Rarely does this change model focus on the situational constraints facing faculty or on ways
to work with faculty/administrators/society to overcome these constraints. This is a significant
shortcoming of the development and dissemination change model.
A greater emphasis needs to be placed on attempting to understand, classify, and change the
situational characteristics that appear to play an important role in inhibiting changes in instructor
practice. If many important barriers to the use research‐based instruction are situational, then it is
important for dissemination efforts geared toward individual instructors to acknowledge these barriers
and help instructors find ways to overcome them or cope with them. Many of the reforms suggested by
educational research are difficult to implement. Yet, many innovations are presented as if significant
improvements are possible by following the “simple” suggestions of the curriculum developer.
The first step toward overcoming situational barriers is to simply acknowledge the reality of the
difficulties instructors will face. Instructors then need to be provided with the information and tools to
anticipate possible implementation difficulties due to situational barriers (for example, the chairs being
bolted down, the class size being large, pressure to move too fast due to content coverage, the many
years students have spent learning that school is about passively collecting facts). The question for the
research community becomes; how can we help instructors to gain an awareness of the situational barriers they will face? And, once instructors identify these barriers how can they go about changing
them.
In addition, change efforts should seek, whenever possible, to find ways to change the situation. For
example, research suggests that department‐level initiatives and departmental leadership can have a
significant impact on the type of teaching within the departmental [36‐38].
Develop change strategies that shape the system as well as the facultyAs discussed above, STEM change agents typically focus their efforts on changing individual facultythrough various means of dissemination and persuasion. We suggest that dissemination activitiesshould place more emphasis on understanding the local environment in which instructors teach andhow that environment impacts their ability and inclination to be innovative. Most faculty work ininstitutions where structures have been set up to work well with traditional instruction. Thus, thereare many environmental barriers to instructional innovations.We propose a model to describe how individual and situational characteristics relate to instructionalpractices (Figure 3). In this model, individual characteristics consist of an instructor’s conceptions (i.e.,beliefs, values, knowledge, etc.) about actual or possible instructional practices. Situational characteristics consist of all aspects outside of the individual instructor that impact or are impacted bythe instructors’ instructional practices. All of the barriers described in the previous section aresituational characteristics, but situational characteristics may also include other things such asavailability of instructional resources, institutional reward system, and disciplinary expectations.According to the model, practice is consistent with conceptions when situational variables support thepractice but may be inconsistent when situational variables are in opposition to a particular practice.Other studies of college science faculty [32,33] and non‐science faculty [34,35] agree with thismodel and suggest that situational factors have a substantial influence on instructional choices. Theproblem for advocates of reformed teaching, however, is that that although this influence can be in thedirection of research‐based instruction it is typically in the direction of traditional instruction. Asdescribed earlier, the development and dissemination model of change has resulted in change agentsfocusing the majority of their efforts on moving instructors’ individual tendencies to become morealternative. Rarely does this change model focus on the situational constraints facing faculty or on waysto work with faculty/administrators/society to overcome these constraints. This is a significantshortcoming of the development and dissemination change model.A greater emphasis needs to be placed on attempting to understand, classify, and change thesituational characteristics that appear to play an important role in inhibiting changes in instructorpractice. If many important barriers to the use research‐based instruction are situational, then it isimportant for dissemination efforts geared toward individual instructors to acknowledge these barriersand help instructors find ways to overcome them or cope with them. Many of the reforms suggested byeducational research are difficult to implement. Yet, many innovations are presented as if significant
improvements are possible by following the “simple” suggestions of the curriculum developer.
The first step toward overcoming situational barriers is to simply acknowledge the reality of the
difficulties instructors will face. Instructors then need to be provided with the information and tools to
anticipate possible implementation difficulties due to situational barriers (for example, the chairs being
bolted down, the class size being large, pressure to move too fast due to content coverage, the many
years students have spent learning that school is about passively collecting facts). The question for the
research community becomes; how can we help instructors to gain an awareness of the situational barriers they will face? And, once instructors identify these barriers how can they go about changing
them.
In addition, change efforts should seek, whenever possible, to find ways to change the situation. For
example, research suggests that department‐level initiatives and departmental leadership can have a
significant impact on the type of teaching within the departmental [36‐38].
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