{"id":{"repo_id":"vt","oai_identifier":"oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/93511"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/vt/oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/93511","repository":{"repo_id":"vt","name":"Virginia Tech","base_url":"https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Instructional Change in Engineering Education: A Conceptual System Dynamics Model of Adoption of Research-Based Instructional Strategies in the Classroom","abstract":"The overall goal of this study was to better understand how the academic system affects change in instructional practices, referred to as instructional change, in engineering education. To accomplish this goal, and acknowledging the complex nature of academia, I used a technique designed to understand complex systems called System Dynamics Modeling. With such technique, I created a conceptual System Dynamics Model (SDM) that illustrates how the factors in the academic system interact dynamically to drive or hinder faculty motivation to adopt Research-based Instructional Strategies (RBIS) in their courses. The creation of this model followed a process that combined research literature with data gathered from 17 professors at an Engineering Department in another country. The model was constructed through an iterative process of systematically reviewing the literature, gather empirical data and creating Causal Loop Diagrams (CLD). The CLD are representations of the different causal relationships between elements in a system which ultimately create what we called virtuous or vicious (reinforcing) cycles and balancing cycles. The whole idea was not to find the causes for professors' motivation to change but how the factors in the academic system reinforce or limit such motivation. With this model I offered a different answer to the calls for change in engineering education toward increasing the pedagogical quality of our learning environments. My biggest argument is that previous instructional change initiatives have yielded low to moderate success, because effective instructional change would require a perspective that accounts for the complex nature of academia. With this study I am providing a different understanding of instructional change by using a system perspective that shows the interactions of elements within a complex system that ultimately influences faculty to adopt RBIS in their courses.","abstract_html":"The overall goal of this study was to better understand how the academic system affects change in instructional practices, referred to as instructional change, in engineering education. To accomplish this goal, and acknowledging the complex nature of academia, I used a technique designed to understand complex systems called System Dynamics Modeling. With such technique, I created a conceptual System Dynamics Model (SDM) that illustrates how the factors in the academic system interact dynamically to drive or hinder faculty motivation to adopt Research-based Instructional Strategies (RBIS) in their courses. The creation of this model followed a process that combined research literature with data gathered from 17 professors at an Engineering Department in another country. The model was constructed through an iterative process of systematically reviewing the literature, gather empirical data and creating Causal Loop Diagrams (CLD). The CLD are representations of the different causal relationships between elements in a system which ultimately create what we called virtuous or vicious (reinforcing) cycles and balancing cycles. The whole idea was not to find the causes for professors' motivation to change but how the factors in the academic system reinforce or limit such motivation. With this model I offered a different answer to the calls for change in engineering education toward increasing the pedagogical quality of our learning environments. My biggest argument is that previous instructional change initiatives have yielded low to moderate success, because effective instructional change would require a perspective that accounts for the complex nature of academia. With this study I am providing a different understanding of instructional change by using a system perspective that shows the interactions of elements within a complex system that ultimately influences faculty to adopt RBIS in their courses.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Cruz Bohorquez, Juan Manuel"],"institution":"Virginia Tech","degree_name":"Doctor of Philosophy","degree_level":"doctoral","degree_discipline":"Engineering Education","degree_department":"Engineering Education","school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":["Adams, Stephanie G."],"committee_members":["Landaeta, Rafael E.","Matusovich, Holly M.","Doolittle, Peter E.","Knight, David B."],"year":2019,"date_issued":"2019-09-09","date_published":"2019-09-09","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:19:37Z","subjects":["System Dynamics","Faculty Motivation","Research Based instructional Strategies","Instructional Change"],"languages":[],"rights":["In Copyright"],"rights_urls":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["vt_gsexam:22093"],"render_values":[{"text":"vt_gsexam:22093","href":null,"code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/10919/93511","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.committeechair","label":"Committee Chair","values":["Adams, Stephanie G."]},{"key":"dc:contributor.committeemember","label":"Committee Member","values":["Landaeta, Rafael E.","Matusovich, Holly M.","Doolittle, Peter E.","Knight, David B."]},{"key":"dc:contributor.department","label":"Department","values":["Engineering Education"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Cruz Bohorquez, Juan Manuel"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2019-09-10T08:00:47Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2019-09-10T08:00:47Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2019-09-09"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Virginia Tech"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Dissertation"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Engineering Education"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["doctoral"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Doctor of Philosophy"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["System Dynamics","Faculty Motivation","Research Based instructional Strategies","Instructional Change"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["In Copyright"]},{"key":"dc:rights.uri","label":"Rights URI","values":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["vt_gsexam:22093"]},{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["http://hdl.handle.net/10919/93511"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["The overall goal of this study was to better understand how the academic system affects change in instructional practices, referred to as instructional change, in engineering education. 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The whole idea was not to find the causes for professors' motivation to change but how the factors in the academic system reinforce or limit such motivation. With this model I offered a different answer to the calls for change in engineering education toward increasing the pedagogical quality of our learning environments. My biggest argument is that previous instructional change initiatives have yielded low to moderate success, because effective instructional change would require a perspective that accounts for the complex nature of academia. 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The creation of this model followed a process that combined research literature with data gathered from 17 professors at an Engineering Department in another country. The model was constructed through an iterative process of systematically reviewing the literature, gather empirical data and creating Causal Loop Diagrams (CLD). The CLD are representations of the different causal relationships between elements in a system which ultimately create what we called virtuous or vicious (reinforcing) cycles and balancing cycles. The whole idea was not to find the causes for professors’ motivation to change but how the factors in the academic system reinforce or limit such motivation. With this model I offered a different answer to the calls for change in engineering education toward increasing the pedagogical quality of our learning environments. My biggest argument is that previous instructional change initiatives have yielded low to moderate success, because effective instructional change would require a perspective that accounts for the complex nature of academia. With this study I am providing a different understanding of instructional change by using a system perspective that shows the interactions of elements within a complex system that ultimately influences faculty to adopt RBIS in their courses."]},{"key":"dc:description.degree","label":"Dc Description Degree","values":["Doctor of Philosophy"]},{"key":"dc:format.medium","label":"Dc Format Medium","values":["ETD"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Instructional Change in Engineering Education: A Conceptual System Dynamics Model of Adoption of Research-Based Instructional Strategies in the Classroom"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.committeechair":["Adams, Stephanie G."],"dc:contributor.committeemember":["Landaeta, Rafael E.","Matusovich, Holly M.","Doolittle, Peter E.","Knight, David B."],"dc:contributor.department":["Engineering Education"],"dc:creator":["Cruz Bohorquez, Juan Manuel"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2019-09-10T08:00:47Z"],"dc:date.available":["2019-09-10T08:00:47Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2019-09-09"],"dc:description.abstract":["The overall goal of this study was to better understand how the academic system affects change in instructional practices, referred to as instructional change, in engineering education. 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The creation of this model followed a process that combined research literature with data gathered from 17 professors at an Engineering Department in another country. The model was constructed through an iterative process of systematically reviewing the literature, gather empirical data and creating Causal Loop Diagrams (CLD). The CLD are representations of the different causal relationships between elements in a system which ultimately create what we called virtuous or vicious (reinforcing) cycles and balancing cycles. The whole idea was not to find the causes for professors’ motivation to change but how the factors in the academic system reinforce or limit such motivation. With this model I offered a different answer to the calls for change in engineering education toward increasing the pedagogical quality of our learning environments. My biggest argument is that previous instructional change initiatives have yielded low to moderate success, because effective instructional change would require a perspective that accounts for the complex nature of academia. With this study I am providing a different understanding of instructional change by using a system perspective that shows the interactions of elements within a complex system that ultimately influences faculty to adopt RBIS in their courses."],"dc:description.degree":["Doctor of Philosophy"],"dc:format.medium":["ETD"],"dc:identifier.other":["vt_gsexam:22093"],"dc:identifier.uri":["http://hdl.handle.net/10919/93511"],"dc:publisher":["Virginia Tech"],"dc:rights":["In Copyright"],"dc:rights.uri":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"dc:subject":["System Dynamics","Faculty Motivation","Research Based instructional Strategies","Instructional Change"],"dc:title":["Instructional Change in Engineering Education: A Conceptual System Dynamics Model of Adoption of Research-Based Instructional Strategies in the Classroom"],"dc:type":["Dissertation"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Engineering Education"],"thesis:degree_level":["doctoral"],"thesis:degree_name":["Doctor of Philosophy"],"thesis:institution_name":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:19:37Z"}