ABSTRACT

Background

This study explored the challenges around enacting change in a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) subject at an Australian higher education institution and examined key elements required to ensure change.

Purpose

The purpose of the study was to examine the barriers and levers driving change during the collaboration of discipline experts, in both science and education disciplines and professional staff across education and science faculties to change the delivery of an existing subject within a science faculty, from traditional lectures to an active learning approach. Sample: Participants from the education faculty and science faculty formed the participant interview pool of five academics for this study.

Design and Methods

Research design of semi-structured interviews of participants was conducted to answer the research questions. Instruments were used to test the research questions, such as factors to facilitate and support change to teaching a science subject and the elements required for successful interdisciplinary collaboration for bringing about change to the teaching of a science subject. Thematic analyses were conducted on the data responses to answer the research questions.

Results

The findings revealed that participants found that factors such as time, resources, understanding of and commitment to the proposed change represented potential barriers to change in the subject. The existence of multiple, time-sensitive champions, additional human resources and a collaborative network of participants, however, were identified as some of the key elements that supported enacting changes to a science subject.

Conclusions

The findings of the study provide insights into interdisciplinary collaborations enacting changes to the teaching of a science subject. For instance, the need for establishment of a dynamic network of participants engendered with multiple interdisciplinary expertise, as well as the need for a change champion and implementation champion, throughout the curriculum re-design, planning and implementation phases of the change.

中文翻译：

---

推动澳大利亚高等教育部门 STEM 科学学科变革的障碍和杠杆：一项重点研究

摘要

背景

本研究探讨了澳大利亚高等教育机构在 STEM（科学、技术、工程和数学）学科中实施变革所面临的挑战，并研究了确保变革所需的关键要素。

目的

该研究的目的是检查学科专家在科学和教育学科以及教育和科学学院的专业人员合作过程中推动变革的障碍和杠杆，以改变科学学院现有学科的交付，从传统的以主动学习的方式授课。样本：来自教育学院和科学学院的参与者组成了本研究的五位学者的参与者访谈池。

设计与方法

对参与者进行了半结构化访谈的研究设计，以回答研究问题。仪器被用来测试研究问题，例如促进和支持科学学科教学变革的因素，以及成功的跨学科合作为科学学科教学带来变革所需的要素。对数据响应进行主题分析以回答研究问题。

结果

调查结果显示，参与者发现时间、资源、对拟议变革的理解和承诺等因素代表了该主题变革的潜在障碍。然而，多个对时间敏感的拥护者、额外的人力资源和参与者的协作网络的存在被确定为支持对科学学科进行变革的一些关键因素。

结论

该研究的结果提供了跨学科合作对科学学科教学进行变革的见解。例如，在变革的课程重新设计、规划和实施阶段，需要建立一个具有多学科专业知识的动态参与者网络，以及变革倡导者和实施倡导者的需要。