This study examined a faculty development program about cultural strengths teaching designed to build knowledge of teaching practices that embrace and leverage diverse students' strengths. More than 30% of community college students are first-generation students, and a majority are from systemically minoritized and low-income backgrounds (American…

Persons excluded due to ethnicity or race (PEERs) leave STEM at disproportionate rates; therefore, efforts to engage undergraduate PEERs are critical to creating a diverse STEM workforce. Through a Howard Hughes Medical Institute funded Inclusive Excellence grant (HHMI-IE), the REALISE (REALizing Inclusive Science Excellence) program was developed…

Meta-assessment is a useful strategy to document assessment practices and guide efforts to improve the culture of assessment at an institution. In this study, a meta-assessment of undergraduate and graduate academic program assessment reports evaluated the maturity of assessment work. Assessment reports submitted in the first year (75…

The University of South Florida (USF) ranks as one of the top 50 public universities in the nation. As of Spring 2022, 14% of the student population identify as military-connected students (MCS). MCS comprises Active Duty, National Guard, Reserve, veteran or military dependents. Many student veterans choose not to embrace their veteran identity…

While it is well-known that faculty-student interaction is key to student success, few institutions have directly leveraged faculty in supporting academic persistence. Many myths about persistence proliferate, and faculty can unwittingly hinder persistence by implementing the wrong kinds of practices. Faculty are most empowered to support student…

Teaching is a demanding career in which 30% of teachers leave the profession in the first five years, and the turnover rate may be as high as 50% for teachers who start their career in urban schools. First 3 is an induction program that aims to help beginning teachers, in their first three years in the career, to learn what they need to excel.…

This toolkit is developed as a resource for providers of teaching-related continuing professional development (CPD) in higher education (HE). It focuses on capturing the longer-term value and impact of CPD for teachers and learners, and moving away from immediate satisfaction measures. It is informed by the literature on evaluating higher…

Teaching is a highly demanding career, in which as many as 50% of teachers who teach in low-income schools, and more than 30% of teachers regardless of school's income exit the profession in the first five years. First 3 is an induction program for teachers that are in their first three years in the teaching career. This report evaluates the…

The conventional lecture has significant limitations in the higher education context, often leading to a passive learning experience for students. This paper reports a process of transforming teaching and learning with active learning strategies in a research-intensive educational context across a faculty of 45 academic staff and more than 1,000…

First 3 is a support program for beginning teachers, who are in their first three years in the teaching career, and undergraduate students. First 3 starts with a Summer Institute in August and offers seminars and workshops through the year. The program offers an opportunity for teachers to be part of a learning community, share their experiences,…

Problems associated with recruiting, supporting and retaining quality teachers in the STEM areas have been well documented in the literature. Specifically, findings suggest STEM teachers have indicated a need for pedagogy and increased content knowledge. These needs may be attributed to the fact that more STEM teachers have been alternatively…

This case study explored the potential applications of data mining in the educational program evaluation of online professional development workshops for pre K-12 teachers. Multiple data mining analyses were implemented in combination with traditional evaluation instruments and student outcomes to determine learner engagement and more clearly…

High turnover rates affect diverse professional areas. Recruiting and training new employees is costly for profit and non-profit organizations. Teacher induction programs provide the emotional and professional support that beginning teachers need in the transitory phase from being a student at a university to being a teacher in a classroom. To…

Which academics benefit from participation in formal mentoring programmes? This study examined the needs and mentoring networks of new academics with evaluative data from a pilot mentoring programme. Themes from these data point towards re-envisioning initiatives for academic staff development. First, an examination of the expansion of mentoring…

This article describes the evaluation of a project designed to provide in-service training for teachers in rural schools in Outer Mongolia in techniques of independent and co-operative learning. Difficulties faced by Mongolian teachers in implementing a new national standards based curriculum were identified by the Mongolian State Education…