As young scientists work their way through graduate school and postdoctoral fellowships, the pressures of writing grant proposals and establishing a research laboratory take priority over teaching. When these students and postdocs eventually get faculty positions, however, few of them have experience in designing and teaching their own courses, and yet they are expected to teach right away. This would not pass muster at a high school. Why should it be acceptable at a university?
Teaching graduate students how to teach offers the chance to instill in future faculty the science of what works—and does not work—in the classroom. For example, many college science professors continue to rely on lectures as the main mode of instruction, even though evidence shows that undergraduates learn best when they actively participate in classroom discussions and activities.
The best teaching strategies also draw on scientific research skills. An instructor hypothesizes that a particular exercise will help students learn a concept and integrates assessment to check the extent to which learning takes place. Just like research, the results of each “experiment” inform the design of subsequent lessons. In contrast, traditional lecture-based courses with only a few high-stakes examinations can leave both instructors and students in the dark about who is excelling or struggling.
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Evidence-based engagement strategies are associated with increased student achievement, and active learning can close the achievement gap for students from underrepresented groups as well as first-generation college students. A 2014 analysis by Scott Freeman and his collaborators at the University of Washington looked at hundreds of studies and found that students in active-learning classrooms scored 6 percent higher on exams and were 1.5 times less likely to fail than students in traditional lecture courses. Other studies have found that active learning can shrink achievement gaps by as much as 45 percent. The mechanism explaining why this method of learning works especially well for some students remains elusive. Benefits may result from increased emphasis on consistently spaced class preparation and frequent feedback that helps students recognize what they know and do not know. These findings show that properly structured college science courses can encourage underrepresented students to pursue science.
Institutions are increasingly recognizing the importance of providing teaching development opportunities for both graduate students and postdocs. Examples of national efforts include the NIH Institutional Research and Academic Career Development Awards fellowships, which are designed to provide postdocs with valuable training as well as teaching experiences in minority-serving institutions. The Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching, and Learning Network targets graduate students and postdocs as future faculty and engages them in campus and virtual-learning communities with opportunities to gain skills for academic careers.
Formal teaching postdoc programs are not common, but the Center for Teaching and Learning at Yale University, which I direct, recently established a teaching program with a unique twist. After a two-year period of training and mentored classroom teaching, the third year is devoted to teaching and related responsibilities at a regional partner institution. Strategic partnerships with a community college and a private institution serving underrepresented and first-generation students ensure that the postdocs gain practical skills by teaching in diverse classroom settings.
The science education literature has yet to report strong connections between professional development programs for faculty and undergraduate student learning outcomes. But a recent study shows that graduate students who engage in more than 55 hours of teaching development feel more confident in the classroom and have greater success securing a faculty position. Follow-up work will demonstrate the impact of teaching development for postdocs and, ultimately, the students in their classrooms.
Postdocs trained in evidence-based teaching are equipped to teach effectively and inclusively. Promoting meaningful engagement in learning benefits everyone, and the particular advantage conferred to underrepresented and first-generation college students is a critical factor for encouraging participation in science.