Teaching Subject Matter Experts How to Teach:
Increasing Graduation Rates through Pedagogical Preparation

Project Lead: Calli Lewis Chiu

 

Institutions investing in pedagogy training in high impact practices experience increased rates of student retention and completion rates (White, 2018). This project will develop an online training course designed to teach faculty how to implement high impact teaching practices in the college classroom. The course will consist of training modules designed to increase instructors’ skills, knowledge, and self-efficacy in administering effective teaching practices resulting in increased student engagement and retention.

It is anticipated that (a) students of instructors who complete the training will demonstrate higher course grade averages than in courses taught by instructors who have not completed the training, (b) there will be a 25% reduction in course repeat rates from participating faculty compared to overall department repeat rates, and (c) participants will report a 25% or greater increase in the frequency in which they incorporate high impact practices.

Student success depends on the effective transferal of information from the instructor to the student; it is incumbent upon post-secondary institutions to ensure faculty have pedagogy expertise in addition to expertise in subject matter. This project addresses CSUF GI2025 goals by significantly increasing graduation rates and helping to close the achievement gap for underrepresented students by equipping faculty with the pedagogy skills needed to mitigate the symptoms (low engagement, persistence, and retention) that prevent academic achievement.

White, A. (2018).
Understanding the university and faculty investment in implementing high- impact educational practices.   Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 18(2), 118-135.