What We Say is Not What We Do: Effective Evaluation of Faculty Professional Development Programs

Professional development (PD) workshops designed to help faculty move from teacher- to learner-centered science courses for undergraduates are typically evaluated with self-reported surveys that address faculty's satisfaction with a workshop, what they learned, and what they applied in the clas...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Bioscience 2011-07, Vol.61 (7), p.550-558
Main Authors: Ebert-May, Diane, Derting, Terry L, Hodder, Janet, Momsen, Jennifer L, Long, Tammy M, Jardeleza, Sarah E
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Active learning
Behavioral Objectives
Biology
College Faculty
College instruction
Cooperative learning
Core curriculum
Data collection
DEPARTMENTS
Education
Educational Strategies
Faculty Development
Inquiry method
Instructional Materials
Learner Engagement
learner-centered teaching
Magnetic storage
Pedagogy
Professional Development
Program Effectiveness
RTOP
Science Curriculum
Science education
Science Instruction
Science learning
student-centered classrooms
Teaching
Teaching Methods
undergraduate biology
Undergraduate Students
Undergraduate studies
Undergraduate Study
Universities
Video Technology
Workshops
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Summary:Professional development (PD) workshops designed to help faculty move from teacher- to learner-centered science courses for undergraduates are typically evaluated with self-reported surveys that address faculty's satisfaction with a workshop, what they learned, and what they applied in the classroom. Professional development outcomes are seldom evaluated through analysis of observed teaching practices. We analyzed videotapes of biology faculty teaching following PD to address three questions: (1) How learner centered was their teaching? (2) Did self-reported data about faculty teaching differ from the data from independent observers? (3) What variables predict teaching practices by faculty? Following PD, 89% of the respondents stated that they made changes in their courses that included active, learner-centered instruction. In contrast, observational data showed that participation in PD did not result in learner-centered teaching. The majority of faculty (75%) used lecture-based, teacher-centered pedagogy, showing a clear disconnect between faculty's perceptions of their teaching and their actual practices.
ISSN:0006-3568
1525-3244
DOI:10.1525/bio.2011.61.7.9