A pressing need in STEM undergraduate education is well-trained faculty who are versed in evidence-based practices and effective teaching techniques. One strategy toward filling this gap is implementing professional development programs for early-career academics and postdoctoral scholars. The Faculty Institutes for Reforming Science Teaching IV (FIRST IV) program focused on developing research-based teaching approaches in the context of transformed courses with biology postdocs from 2009-2012. While FIRST IV demonstrated evidence of developing learner-centered instructors at the conclusion of the program, we knew little of how these teaching practices were maintained (or not) when alumni became faculty and were exposed to the climate and structures of their home departments. They are now at a variety of institution types, from R1 to community colleges. We sought evidence of long-lasting behavioral change in how these faculty teach, and the internal and external (e.g., organizational) factors that contribute to teaching practice and thus the maintenance of professional development. Specifically, our findings address two research questions: (1) How are professional development outcomes sustained over time? (2) How do FIRST IV faculty compare to their colleagues within their departments with respect to teaching?
Results/Conclusions
This study used a longitudinal, paired design in which data on teaching approaches, observed practice, and student perceptions were collected from 40 pairs of FIRST IV alumni and a matched comparison colleague in their department for three years of data collection (2016-2019). We found that self-reported teaching approaches and observed practices 6-7 years later were consistent with those developed during FIRST IV. Data from student perceptions of the learning environment further support this finding. Additionally, FIRST IV faculty use more learner-centered practices than their comparison colleagues (p<0.001), even up to six years following their completion of the professional development program. Finally, we found that instructors’ self-reported teaching approaches correlated with independent observations of their learner-centered practice for both groups of instructors. These results suggest that the FIRST IV professional development program succeeded in training faculty to teach student-centered courses and the outcomes persist long after the program has finished.