Facilitating Instructional Change: A Case Study on Diffusion of Curriculum Innovation

While much research has been conducted on train-the-trainer models for diffusing curriculum innovations at the K-12 level, not much is known about how such models play out at the undergraduate level, especially with newer curriculum innovations using student-centered instruction. I present findings from one such project: a case study on the second-generation facilitation of a professional development group focused on supporting instructors teaching with the Inquiry-Oriented Abstract Algebra (Larsen et al., 2013) curriculum materials. I investigate the relationship between the intent of the instructional support model and the facilitator's beliefs and goals for the professional development, using video data collected from a series of online meetings and from the facilitator's classroom in the year prior to his facilitation. Results indicate that the facilitator's orientations and goals around sharing authority and creating supportive learning environments, especially for women participants, both modify and stabilize the intentions of the TIMES project (NSF Awards: #1431595, #1431641, #1431393) as a whole, and the train-the-trainer model as a subsidiary.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science

Level thesis:degree_level

masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Mathematics

Department dc:contributor.department

Mathematics

Grantor dc:publisher

Virginia Tech

Year dc:date.issued

2023

Author dc:creator

• Mitchell, Corinne Beloved

Chair dc:contributor.committeechair

• Johnson, Estrella

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Norton, Anderson Hassell
• Wawro, Megan

• professional development
• inquiry-oriented curricula
• instructional change

Statement dc:rights

• In Copyright

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Language dc:language.iso

en

Dc Identifier Other

vt_gsexam:38309

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/116048