Instructional Improvement and Student Engagement in Post-Secondary Engineering Courses: The Complexity Underlying Small Effect Sizes
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| Title: | Instructional Improvement and Student Engagement in Post-Secondary Engineering Courses: The Complexity Underlying Small Effect Sizes |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Hilpert, Jonathan C., Husman, Jenefer |
| Source: | Educational Psychology. 2017 37(2):157-172. |
| Availability: | Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 16 |
| Publication Date: | 2017 |
| Sponsoring Agency: | National Science Foundation (NSF) |
| Contract Number: | REC0960551 REC0546856 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research |
| Education Level: | Higher Education Postsecondary Education |
| Descriptors: | Instructional Improvement, Engineering Education, College Faculty, Qualitative Research, Achievement Gains, Faculty Development, Research Universities, Observation, Quasiexperimental Design, Comparative Analysis, Teacher Attitudes, Teacher Surveys, Effect Size, Student Attitudes, Learner Engagement, Statistical Analysis, Prior Learning, Reflection |
| DOI: | 10.1080/01443410.2016.1241379 |
| ISSN: | 0144-3410 |
| Abstract: | The current study leveraged a professional development programme for engineering faculty at a large research university to examine the impact of instructional improvement on student engagement. Professors who participated in the professional development were observed three times and rated using an existing observation protocol. Students in courses with instructors who participated and did not participate in the professional development were surveyed about their classroom engagement. The responses were used to conduct quasi-experimental comparisons. Results indicated that students in courses with professors who participated in the professional development self-reported 3% more behavioural and 2% more cognitive engagement than students with professors who did not participate. Within professional development group, follow-up comparisons showed that students in courses with the highest rated instructors self-reported 7% more cognitive engagement than students with lower ranked professors. Thematic coding of the qualitative data suggests that the highest rated instructors may have achieved these gains through the use of three domain general instructional strategies: activating prior knowledge, facilitating classroom interaction and promoting reflection. Findings are contextualised within extant literature reporting similar effect sizes, and implications for future engagement research from a classroom systems perspective are discussed. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Number of References: | 66 |
| Entry Date: | 2017 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1127857 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | The current study leveraged a professional development programme for engineering faculty at a large research university to examine the impact of instructional improvement on student engagement. Professors who participated in the professional development were observed three times and rated using an existing observation protocol. Students in courses with instructors who participated and did not participate in the professional development were surveyed about their classroom engagement. The responses were used to conduct quasi-experimental comparisons. Results indicated that students in courses with professors who participated in the professional development self-reported 3% more behavioural and 2% more cognitive engagement than students with professors who did not participate. Within professional development group, follow-up comparisons showed that students in courses with the highest rated instructors self-reported 7% more cognitive engagement than students with lower ranked professors. Thematic coding of the qualitative data suggests that the highest rated instructors may have achieved these gains through the use of three domain general instructional strategies: activating prior knowledge, facilitating classroom interaction and promoting reflection. Findings are contextualised within extant literature reporting similar effect sizes, and implications for future engagement research from a classroom systems perspective are discussed. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 0144-3410 |
| DOI: | 10.1080/01443410.2016.1241379 |
