STEM Faculty Professional Development: Measuring the Impact on College Student Grades and Identifying Critical Program Components
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| Title: | STEM Faculty Professional Development: Measuring the Impact on College Student Grades and Identifying Critical Program Components |
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| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Mary F. McCarthy Hintz (ORCID |
| Source: | Journal of Research in Science Teaching. 2025 62(7):1795-1813. |
| Availability: | Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 19 |
| Publication Date: | 2025 |
| Sponsoring Agency: | National Science Foundation (NSF), Division of Undergraduate Education (DUE) Department of Education (ED) |
| Contract Number: | 1832335 PO31S150197 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research |
| Education Level: | Higher Education Postsecondary Education |
| Descriptors: | College Faculty, Faculty Development, STEM Education, College Students, Grades (Scholastic), Program Descriptions, Outcome Measures, Outcomes of Education, State Universities, Academic Achievement, Online Courses, Asynchronous Communication, Active Learning, Student Improvement, Teaching Methods |
| Geographic Terms: | California |
| DOI: | 10.1002/tea.22029 |
| ISSN: | 0022-4308 1098-2736 |
| Abstract: | Higher education institutions commonly provide faculty professional development (PD) in teaching and learning, with the goal of enhancing student outcomes by improving instructional quality. Yet few existing studies link PD participation with student outcome measures. Empirical evidence on the impact of PD on student performance in higher education, particularly in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education is limited. Using institutional data from a large state university in California, we address this gap by estimating the impact of two online PD programs on student performance: an asynchronous program about developing online courses, open to faculty from all disciplines; and a synchronous program designed exclusively for STEM faculty, concentrating on STEM-specific challenges and active learning strategies in online instruction. Using a difference-in-difference approach, our results indicate that both PD programs improved student grades, while only the STEM-specific PD improved DFW rates and addressed equity gaps. To explain the difference in results between the two PD programs, we invoke a theoretical model positing that to improve student outcomes, faculty PD must teach strategies known to improve student performance, it must teach that content in ways known to improve faculty learning, and it must support faculty as they implement new strategies. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2025 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1482092 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | Higher education institutions commonly provide faculty professional development (PD) in teaching and learning, with the goal of enhancing student outcomes by improving instructional quality. Yet few existing studies link PD participation with student outcome measures. Empirical evidence on the impact of PD on student performance in higher education, particularly in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education is limited. Using institutional data from a large state university in California, we address this gap by estimating the impact of two online PD programs on student performance: an asynchronous program about developing online courses, open to faculty from all disciplines; and a synchronous program designed exclusively for STEM faculty, concentrating on STEM-specific challenges and active learning strategies in online instruction. Using a difference-in-difference approach, our results indicate that both PD programs improved student grades, while only the STEM-specific PD improved DFW rates and addressed equity gaps. To explain the difference in results between the two PD programs, we invoke a theoretical model positing that to improve student outcomes, faculty PD must teach strategies known to improve student performance, it must teach that content in ways known to improve faculty learning, and it must support faculty as they implement new strategies. |
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| ISSN: | 0022-4308 1098-2736 |
| DOI: | 10.1002/tea.22029 |
