Skip to main content
Browse by:
GROUP

Obstacles to effective teaching in higher education: Are we using the right change strategies?

Prof. Charles Henderson
Friday, June 17, 2022
All Day
Prof. Charles Henderson (Western Michigan University)
North Carolina Chemistry Educators and Researchers (NC CER) Meeting

Obstacles to effective teaching in higher education: Are we using the right change strategies?

Researchers in undergraduate STEM education have shown that many aspects of teaching can be systematically studied and improved using scientific methods. There is now a convincing body of research showing that a wide variety of instructional strategies consistently improve student learning and other desired outcomes when compared to traditional instruction. Like most fields, though, there is a substantial gap between the research-based knowledge about effective teaching and the actual practices of instructors. Change agents in higher education typically attempt to bridge this gap by developing stronger evidence of the efficacy of new instructional strategies and telling more instructors about this evidence. In this presentation I will argue that this type of change strategy, focused on convincing individual instructors through rational arguments, is not sufficient to bring about large-scale sustainable change. Focusing only on individuals does not change the barriers to implementing new instructional strategies that are embedded in the cultures and structures within which these individuals work. Stronger change strategies focus on supporting groups to develop and implement a shared vision.