Unlocking the gate: faculty professional development for increased student success in foundational and gateway courses

WCU Author/Contributor (non-WCU co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
Thad Harrill (Creator)
Brandon Smith (Creator)
Institution
Western Carolina University (WCU )
Web Site: http://library.wcu.edu/
Advisor
Jessica Weiler

Abstract: Foundational and gateway courses are critical prerequisites in educational systems.Unfortunately, they can be challenging for students, causing high failure rates, which correlate with reduced course persistence and program completion for all students. To address this problem of practice we applied a dissertation in practice model wherein professional development for evidence-based pedagogical practices was implemented. After the professional development, participating faculty refined how they delivered the courses using one or more of the following practices: transparent teaching, metacognition, and design of classroomatmosphere. In Biology and Psychology classes, we saw statistically significant improvement.Further research is required to correlate how specific classroom practices and pedagogies used in this study correspond with academic achievement and persistence.Keywords: gateway courses, course redesign, transparent teaching, metacognition, classroomatmosphere, improvement science, persistence, retention

Additional Information

Publication
Dissertation
Language: English
Date: 2020
Keywords
Course Redesign, Gateway courses, Improvement Science, Persistence, Retention

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