Assessing Challenges and Affordances of a Traditional Instructor’s Pedagogical Change During Guided Implementation of Innovative Pedagogy

Jacquelyn E. Kelly; Andrea Marta Eller; Stephen J. Krause

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Conference: 2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Vancouver, BC
Publication Date: June 26, 2011
Start Date: June 26, 2011
End Date: June 29, 2011
ISSN: 2153-5965
Conference Session: Innovations in Materials Education
Tagged Division: Materials
Page Count: 5
Page Numbers: 22.232.1 - 22.232.5
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--17513
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/17513
Download Count: 380

Paper Authors

biography

Jacquelyn E. Kelly Arizona State University

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Jacquelyn Kelly is doctoral student in Science Education at Arizona State University. Her Master's degree is in Materials Science and Engineering and her undergraduate degree is in Physics and Chemistry. Her principle research interests are situated in engineering education and include conceptual development, engineering academic language acquisition, and the role of motivation and emotion on these things. She is also invested and passionate about K-12 education as she teaches physics, chemistry, and science foundations at New School for the Arts and Academics, an alternative arts high school.

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Andrea Marta Eller Arizona State University

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Andrea Eller is an undergraduate at Arizona State University in the School of Materials at Arizona State University. After graduation she will be attending graduate school in Materials Science and Engineering. She has been working as an undergraduate teaching assistant in the Introductory Materials course for two years.

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Stephen J. Krause Arizona State University

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Stephen J. Krause is Professor in the School of Materials in the Fulton School of Engineering at Arizona State University. He teaches in the areas of bridging engineering and education, capstone design, and introductory materials engineering. His research interests are evaluating conceptual knowledge, misconceptions and their repair, and conceptual change. He has co-developed a Materials Concept Inventory for assessing conceptual knowledge of students in introductory materials engineering classes. He is currently conducting research with NSF sponsored projects in the areas of: Modules to Promote Conceptual Change in an Introductory Materials Course, Tracking Student Learning Trajectories of Atomic Structure and Macroscopic Property Relationships, and Assessing the Effect of Learning Modes on Conceptual Change.

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Abstract

Assessing Challenges and Affordances of a Traditional Instructor’s Pedagogical Change During Guided Implementation of Innovative PedagogyA well known challenge of education research is the utilization of research to improve practice.Often, knowledge of education research may not extend past the research community, and notreach practitioners who could implement research findings to impact classroom practice. Inorder to improve the understanding of issues that arise during implementation of innovativepractice, progressive pedagogical tools (developed using research based principles) wereintegrated into an introductory materials engineering course taught by an engineering instructorwho had been using traditional classroom practice. To do this, a graduate research associateworked with the faculty member to support implementation of student engagement modules forfour topics in the course which included: atomic bonding, crystal structures, dislocations anddefects, and phase diagrams. During each class period a Reformed Teaching ObservationProtocol (RTOP) observation was completed to assess the instructor’s classroom pedagogicalpractice in order to assess how it might have changed over the course of the semester. TheRTOP is a tool that assesses to what extent a given instructor's classroom behaviors align withresearch-based best practice principles of classroom practice that promote student engagementand effective teaching and learning. Additionally, entrance and exit interviews were conducted toaccess instructor issues, attitudes and insights. Students in the course completed daily reflectionsand an exit course survey to assess their perception of how supportive various components of thecourse were to their learning. Preliminary analysis of data suggests subtle changes in classroombehaviors toward more progressive pedagogical practice over the semester. Additionally,students perceived that many of the integrated innovative curriculum materials were supportiveof their learning. Barriers and challenges for implementing the progressive pedagogical toolswere also identified. These included time constraints, limitations due to textbook choice, andepistemological beliefs of instructor and students with respect to the nature of learning. Byfurther examining these challenges, it may be possible to better understand the gap betweenresults of education research to their utilization to change practice. And, if that gap can beaddressed, there may be the potential for the research community to have significant, real impacton student learning and success in the classroom.

Citation
Format

Kelly, J. E., & Eller, A. M., & Krause, S. J. (2011, June), Assessing Challenges and Affordances of a Traditional Instructor’s Pedagogical Change During Guided Implementation of Innovative Pedagogy Paper presented at 2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Vancouver, BC. 10.18260/1-2--17513

TY - CPAPER
AB - Assessing Challenges and Affordances of a Traditional Instructor’s Pedagogical Change During Guided Implementation of Innovative PedagogyA well known challenge of education research is the utilization of research to improve practice.Often, knowledge of education research may not extend past the research community, and notreach practitioners who could implement research findings to impact classroom practice. Inorder to improve the understanding of issues that arise during implementation of innovativepractice, progressive pedagogical tools (developed using research based principles) wereintegrated into an introductory materials engineering course taught by an engineering instructorwho had been using traditional classroom practice. To do this, a graduate research associateworked with the faculty member to support implementation of student engagement modules forfour topics in the course which included: atomic bonding, crystal structures, dislocations anddefects, and phase diagrams. During each class period a Reformed Teaching ObservationProtocol (RTOP) observation was completed to assess the instructor’s classroom pedagogicalpractice in order to assess how it might have changed over the course of the semester. TheRTOP is a tool that assesses to what extent a given instructor&#39;s classroom behaviors align withresearch-based best practice principles of classroom practice that promote student engagementand effective teaching and learning. Additionally, entrance and exit interviews were conducted toaccess instructor issues, attitudes and insights. Students in the course completed daily reflectionsand an exit course survey to assess their perception of how supportive various components of thecourse were to their learning. Preliminary analysis of data suggests subtle changes in classroombehaviors toward more progressive pedagogical practice over the semester. Additionally,students perceived that many of the integrated innovative curriculum materials were supportiveof their learning. Barriers and challenges for implementing the progressive pedagogical toolswere also identified. These included time constraints, limitations due to textbook choice, andepistemological beliefs of instructor and students with respect to the nature of learning. Byfurther examining these challenges, it may be possible to better understand the gap betweenresults of education research to their utilization to change practice. And, if that gap can beaddressed, there may be the potential for the research community to have significant, real impacton student learning and success in the classroom.
AU - Jacquelyn E. Kelly
AU - Andrea Marta Eller
AU - Stephen J. Krause
CY - Vancouver, BC
DA - 2011/06/26
PB - ASEE Conferences
TI - Assessing Challenges and Affordances of a Traditional Instructor’s Pedagogical Change During Guided Implementation of Innovative Pedagogy
UR - https://peer.asee.org/17513
DO - 10.18260/1-2--17513
ER -