99th ESA Annual Meeting (August 10 -- 15, 2014)

IGN 11

I Came, I Tested, I Changed My Approach: The Process of Solving Teaching Problems Scientifically

Ever hypothesized why a certain problem might be occurring in your classroom? As scientists, we are focused on applying the best research methods to our research, and we can also apply our scientific thinking to our teaching as well. Discipline-based science education research is growing, but we don’t all have to become science education researchers to apply this scientific mindset to our teaching. In this IGNITE session, speakers discuss problems that arose in their teaching, how they tried to solve the problems and what the evidence is that it is working. There is a nationwide effort to improve how we teach in the STEM disciplines, not only to enhance student learning but also to retain and even increase the number of STEM majors. Leaders in biology education advocate for the adoption of evidence-based teaching methods, yet barriers to widespread implementation still exist. This session provides an opportunity to tackle the major obstacles of dissemination of strategies and application and assessment of these strategies to new classroom contexts. Speakers have focused on a wide range of issues, from students’ struggles with quantitative skills, plagiarism and increasing participation and retention of minority students in ecology. Presenters used a “scientific teaching” approach, using a combination of evidence from the pedagogical literature and evidence collected from their own students, to refine their teaching and mentoring practices.