TY - JOUR
T1 - Social Networks and Instructional Reform in STEM
T2 - The Teaching-Research Nexus
AU - Skvoretz, John
AU - Kappelman, Katherine
AU - Marcy, Ariel
AU - McAlpin, Jacob D.
AU - Lewis, Jennifer E.
AU - Ziker, John P.
AU - Mertens, Karl
AU - Earl, Brittnee
AU - Shadle, Susan E.
AU - Couch, Brian A.
AU - Feola, Stephanie
AU - Prevost, Luanna B.
AU - Lane, A. Kelly
AU - Whitt, Blake
AU - Stains, Marilyne
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2023, The Author(s).
PY - 2023/8
Y1 - 2023/8
N2 - Instructional reform in STEM aims for the widespread adoption of evidence based instructional practices (EBIPS), practices that implement active learning. Research recognizes that faculty social networks regarding discussion or advice about teaching may matter to such efforts. But teaching is not the only priority for university faculty – meeting research expectations is at least as important and, often, more consequential for tenure and promotion decisions. We see value in understanding how research networks, based on discussion and advice about research matters, relate to teaching networks to see if and how such networks could advance instructional reform efforts. Our research examines data from three departments (biology, chemistry, and geosciences) at three universities that had recently received funding to enhance adoption of EBIPs in STEM fields. We evaluate exponential random graph models of the teaching network and find that (a) the existence of a research tie from one faculty member i to another j enhances the prospects of a teaching tie from i to j, but (b) even though faculty highly placed in the teaching network are more likely to be extensive EBIP users, faculty highly placed in the research network are not, dimming prospects for leveraging research networks to advance STEM instructional reforms.
AB - Instructional reform in STEM aims for the widespread adoption of evidence based instructional practices (EBIPS), practices that implement active learning. Research recognizes that faculty social networks regarding discussion or advice about teaching may matter to such efforts. But teaching is not the only priority for university faculty – meeting research expectations is at least as important and, often, more consequential for tenure and promotion decisions. We see value in understanding how research networks, based on discussion and advice about research matters, relate to teaching networks to see if and how such networks could advance instructional reform efforts. Our research examines data from three departments (biology, chemistry, and geosciences) at three universities that had recently received funding to enhance adoption of EBIPs in STEM fields. We evaluate exponential random graph models of the teaching network and find that (a) the existence of a research tie from one faculty member i to another j enhances the prospects of a teaching tie from i to j, but (b) even though faculty highly placed in the teaching network are more likely to be extensive EBIP users, faculty highly placed in the research network are not, dimming prospects for leveraging research networks to advance STEM instructional reforms.
KW - Communication networks
KW - Evidence based instruction practices
KW - STEM instructional reforms, exponential random graph models
KW - Teaching and research
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U2 - 10.1007/s10755-022-09642-5
DO - 10.1007/s10755-022-09642-5
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85146593596
SN - 0742-5627
VL - 48
SP - 579
EP - 600
JO - Innovative Higher Education
JF - Innovative Higher Education
IS - 4
ER -