Henderson Aapt Winter 2009 (chicago) Session Bf01

An Overview of the Four Core Change Strategies for Reforming STEM Instruction Charles Henderson Andrea Beach

Western Michigan University

Noah Finkelstein

University of Colorado, Boulder

www.homepages.wmich.edu/~chenders 1

Starting Point: •We know a lot about: • effective teaching of college-level STEM • how to apply this knowledge in individual classrooms •A significant problem is: • finding ways to scale effective practices so that all undergraduate students experience them 2

A Larger Literature Review: Preliminary Results*

Current Status: • Literature Search 

~400 relevant journal articles identified

• Preliminary Analysis 

Use 130 articles (randomly selected) to develop four categories of change strategies

• Ongoing Analysis (target completion – Spring 2009) 

Complete analysis of remaining articles – modifying categories and coding criteria as necessary

• Next Steps (Winter/Spring 2009) 

DELPHI (distilling knowledge from a group of experts)

*Supported by NSF DRL-0723699

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Categories of Change Strategies Based on Two Dimensions 1. What does the change effort intend to directly impact? Individuals The change intends to directly impact personal characteristics of single individuals, such as beliefs, knowledge, behaviors, etc.

Environments and Structures The change intends to directly impact extra-individual characteristics of the system such as rules, physical characteristics of the environment, norms, etc.

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Categories of Change Strategies Based on Two Dimensions 2. To what extent is the outcome prescribed in advance? Prescribed Final State The desired final state for the individual or environment is known at the beginning of the change process.

Emergent Final State The desired final state for the individual or environment is developed as part of the change process.

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Focus on Changing Encourage/support Tell/teach individuals Individuals individuals to develop about new teaching conceptions and/or practices. e.g., dissemination, focused conceptual change

Develop new environmental features that require/encourage new teaching conceptions and/or practices. e.g., policy change, strategic planning

new teaching conceptions and/or practices. e.g., reflective practice, action research, curriculum development

Empower collective development of environmental features that support new teaching conceptions and/or practices. e.g., institutional transformation, learning organizations

Focus on Changing Environment/Structures

Emergent Final Condition

Prescribed Final Condition

Four Categories of Change Strategies

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Focus on Changing Individuals DISSEMINATING

Curriculum & Pedagogy

DEVELOPING 

Policy

DEVELOPING

Reflective Teachers

DEVELOPING 

Shared Vision

Focus on Changing Environment/Structures

Emergent Final Condition

Prescribed Final Condition

Each Type of Strategy has a Unique Emphasis

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Focus on Changing Individuals DISSEMINATING

Curriculum & Pedagogy

DEVELOPING 

Policy

DEVELOPING

Reflective Teachers

DEVELOPING 

Shared Vision

Focus on Changing Environment/Structures

Emergent Final Condition

Prescribed Final Condition

This Session

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Session Plan 10:00-10:10

Charles Henderson

10:10-:10:30 Eric Mazur

An Overview of the Four Core Change Strategies for Reforming STEM Instruction Disseminating Curriculum and Pedagogy: Peer Instruction

Andrea Beach and Milton Cox

Developing Reflective Teachers: Faculty Learning Communities

10:50-11:10

William Kelly

Developing Policy for Reforming Engineering Education: the ABET Criteria

11:10-11:30

Jennifer Zoltners Sherer

Developing Shared Vision: Distributed Leadership

11:30-11:40

Noah Finkelstein

Discussant

11:40-12:00

Panel Discussion

10:30-10:50

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Questions to Consider How do the programs discussed relate to the four categories of change strategies? • How did each manage the tension between a focus on individuals vs. environments/structures? • How did each manage the tension between prescribed vs. emergent outcomes? • In what ways are these categories useful/not useful in understanding change? • What aspects of change aren’t represented in these categories?

What were some unexpected (but, with hindsight, clear) aspects of the change process? 10