Supporting and Advancing Geoscience Education at Two-Year Colleges (SAGE 2YC) Faculty as Agents of Change

• In Event: Faculty Development to Obtain Student Success: Learning Across National Science Foundation Grant Projects

Abstract

Strong undergraduate geoscience education is dependent on strong geoscience programs at two-year colleges (2YCs). Community colleges enroll over 45% of all U.S. undergraduates (American Association of Community Colleges (AACC, 2014), educate most of the geoscience technician workforce (GeoTech, 2010), provide a significant pathway into geoscience majors for four-year colleges (4YCUs) [e.g., 69% of the geoscience majors at 26 Texas public universities transferred from community colleges (Gonzales, 2013)], and develop earth system science-literate pre-service teachers. In addition, given that their students are disproportionately from minority groups (42%), first-generation college students (36%) and women (57%) (AACC, 2014), 2YCs can play an important role in increasing the number of underrepresented minorities in the geosciences. Given the significance of 2YC geoscience education, the role of community college teaching faculty matters.
The SAGE 2YC (Supporting and Advancing Geoscience Education in Two-year Colleges) Faculty as Agents of Change project focuses on a professional development model that provides support and training for a group of two-year college faculty members (23 change agents from 17 community colleges). This four-year project intends to transform geoscience education in two-year colleges (2YCs) through an innovative program that focuses on 2YC geoscience faculty as "change agents." These faculty, working in teams, are implementing high-impact, evidence-based instructional and co-curricular practices at their own institutions, with an anticipated outcome of improved student learning, broadened participation, and a more robust STEM workforce. They are working with administrators to institutionalize these changes, and are propagating these practices to colleagues in their region via an ongoing series of local professional development events.
The first year of the project involved two workshops that provided training on teaching strategies and pedagogies to support the goals of the project, namely, broadening participation in geoscience programs, supporting career pathways, and increasing student success. At the end of the first year of the program, the CA created individual and team action plans that outlined what they hoped to change in their practice and at the college as a result of their involvement in the project. In the second year of the project, the 10 CA teams developed and hosted regional workshops that shared what they were learning about effective practices. The CA participated in virtual professional development in both the fall and spring terms (in the form of book clubs and teaching circles). During the second year face-to-face workshop, the teams refined their action plans, began analysis on their baseline educational outcomes data, participated in PD sessions to expand teaching strategies and inclusive practices, and learned more about their own leadership.
During the symposium, the project’s researcher will share early findings of changes to CA teaching strategies and compare these to classroom observations. A burgeoning community of practice is developing for the CAs; CA portraits created during the first two years of the project highlight how individual teaching practices are changing, but also surface challenges with the change process. Pointedly, the CAs need to unlearn perspectives to improve their practice and to institute change in their programs.

Author

• Pamela L. Eddy, College of William and Mary