A Multiple Case Study of Teaching-Focused Professional Development Programs Offered at Three Different Types of US Institutions of Higher Education

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Bibliographic Details
Title: A Multiple Case Study of Teaching-Focused Professional Development Programs Offered at Three Different Types of US Institutions of Higher Education
Language: English
Authors: Holly Fortener, Leilani A. Arthurs, Patrick Shabram, Pierre Lu, Chu-Lin Cheng, Stephanie Plaza-Torres, Carly Flaagan
Source: Higher Education Studies. 2024 14(3):170-188.
Availability: Canadian Center of Science and Education. 1595 Sixteenth Ave Suite 301, Richmond Hill, Ontario, L4B 3N9 Canada. Tel: 416-642-2606; Fax: 416-642-2608; e-mail: hes@ccsenet.org; Web site: http://www.ccsenet.org/journal/index.php/hes
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 19
Publication Date: 2024
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Postsecondary Education
Two Year Colleges
Descriptors: Faculty Development, Higher Education, STEM Education, Undergraduate Study, Community Colleges, Research Universities, Educational Change, Public Colleges, College Faculty, Program Evaluation
Geographic Terms: Colorado, Texas, Colorado (Boulder)
ISSN: 1925-4741
1925-475X
Abstract: Teaching-focused professional development (PD) programs offered at institutions of higher education (IHEs) are uniquely positioned to be levers of change that improve the quality of undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education in ways that broaden participation in STEM education, workforce development, and career pathways in the United States (US). PD programs and their potential to transform undergraduate STEM education, however, are understudied. This multiple-case study compares suites of PD programs offered at three IHEs in the US: a community college, an emerging research institution, and a research-intensive university. Each suite of PD programs is characterized in terms of program structure, implementation, and potential to transform undergraduate STEM education. The presented results illustrate the existence of a wide range of ways in which PD programs are structured and implemented. A key finding is a suite of PD programs offered at these IHEs has greater potential to transform undergraduate STEM education when embedded in an institutional culture that highly prioritizes the teaching enterprise. Lastly, the results are synthesized into an innovative framework. The framework can be used as a tool to design, implement, and evaluate PD programs so they have greater potential to transform undergraduate STEM education in the US.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2024
Accession Number: EJ1440051
Database: ERIC
Description
Abstract:Teaching-focused professional development (PD) programs offered at institutions of higher education (IHEs) are uniquely positioned to be levers of change that improve the quality of undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education in ways that broaden participation in STEM education, workforce development, and career pathways in the United States (US). PD programs and their potential to transform undergraduate STEM education, however, are understudied. This multiple-case study compares suites of PD programs offered at three IHEs in the US: a community college, an emerging research institution, and a research-intensive university. Each suite of PD programs is characterized in terms of program structure, implementation, and potential to transform undergraduate STEM education. The presented results illustrate the existence of a wide range of ways in which PD programs are structured and implemented. A key finding is a suite of PD programs offered at these IHEs has greater potential to transform undergraduate STEM education when embedded in an institutional culture that highly prioritizes the teaching enterprise. Lastly, the results are synthesized into an innovative framework. The framework can be used as a tool to design, implement, and evaluate PD programs so they have greater potential to transform undergraduate STEM education in the US.
ISSN:1925-4741
1925-475X