ERIC Number: EJ1161368
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2017-Nov
Pages: 9
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0047-231X
EISSN: N/A
Show Me the Way: Future Faculty Prefer Directive Feedback When Trying Active Learning Approaches
Stephens, Jessica D.; Battle, David C.; Gormally, Cara L.; Brickman, Peggy
Journal of College Science Teaching, v47 n2 p57-65 Nov 2017
Early training opportunities for future faculty, namely graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, can better prepare them to use active learning approaches. We know that instructional feedback supports sustained change and motivates instructors to improve teaching practices. Here, we incorporate feedback as a key component of a pedagogical course for future faculty who had never taught or were currently novice teaching assistants. We studied (a) how future faculty's teaching beliefs changed over the course of the semester, (b) whether feedback varied between future faculty (peers) and facilitators (faculty and upper level graduate students), (c) future faculty's feedback preferences (i.e., written vs. oral, peer vs. facilitator), and (d) how to use those preferences to tailor feedback that encourages future faculty at all levels to adopt more active learning approaches. We found that future faculty made greater shifts in their teaching beliefs than more experienced facilitators, responding more favorably to direct feedback that informed them how to improve rather than simple encouragement.
Descriptors: College Faculty, Teaching Assistants, Feedback (Response), Active Learning, Teaching Methods, Mentors, Teacher Attitudes, Beliefs, Graduate Students, Science Instruction, College Science
National Science Teachers Association. 1840 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22201-3000. Tel: 800-722-6782; Fax: 703-243-3924; e-mail: membership@nsta.org; Web site: http://www.nsta.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: National Science Foundation (NSF)
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: 1262715