A common issue arises when instructors attempt to incorporate EBPs into their courses, the students don’t always embrace the change. In order to effectively implement EBPs the instructor needs to value the practice and know how to implement it, but the students also need to be open to the deviation from the more traditional ways of learning. This study looks at how students’ growth mindset and trust in their instructor connects with their acceptance of EBPs.
Terms to know
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Evidence-Based Teaching Practices (EBPs)
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Research-based or supported educational practices that promote student engagement and learning
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Buy-in
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Students’ acceptance of a practice, which is connected to what they learn from the practices
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Buy-in Framework (EPIC)
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Four-part framework that is used to evaluate student engagement with EBPs
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Exposure: did the students participate in specific EBPs
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Persuasion: did they feel the practice was beneficial
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Identification: did the student like the practice
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Commitment: would they like to participate in the practice again in the future
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Trust
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Students’ perception that the instructor understands the challenges they’re facing, accepts them for who they are, and cares about their learning
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Measuring trust along three scales: understanding, acceptance, & care
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Growth Mindset
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The belief that intelligence is not fixed and that it can change or grow when engaging with a subject
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The Study
This article describes a study used to test a framework for student buy-in to evidence-based teaching practices (EBPs). The instructors were selected for the study based on their experience at a summer institute on scientific teaching and the number of EBPs they reported on incorporating in their courses after verification. Fourteen instructors from 14 institutions were selected for the study. The sample included 11 women and 3 men, institutional information can be found in table 1. Once the instructors were selected the students in their courses were surveyed at the end of the spring semester (2102 responses). The students were surveyed on their own growth mindset toward learning, their trust in the instructor, their buy-in to EBPs, their course engagement, and their final grade in the course. The results show that students’ growth mindset and trust in the instructor were central to whether or not the students bought-in to the EBPs. Results were consistent across gender, age, and race/ethnicity of the students
| University Type | R1 Public | R1 Private | R2 Public | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Numer of Instructors | 7 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| Gender | Women | Men | Other/No Answer | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students | 61.9% | 32.8% | 1.2% | ||||
| Age | 18-19 | 20-21 | 22-24 | 25 or older | Other/No Answer | ||
| Students | 36.5% | 40.2% | 12.5% | 6.0% | 0.8% | ||
| Race/Ethnicity | White | South Asian | African American | East Asian | Hispanic/Latino | Middle Eastern | Native American |
| Students | 64.7% | 7.8% | 8.9% | 7.0% | 7.0% | 3.6% | 2.0% |
Takeaways
Students in the study were more likely to buy-in to the teaching practices if they trusted their instructor and had a growth mindset. Trust in the instructor was a significantly stronger indicator than growth mindset. In the study trust was measured based on understanding, acceptance, and care. Students who had more trust in their instructors felt that the challenges they were facing were understood, that they were accepted for who they are, and that the instructor cared about their learning.
In order to overcome the all too common barrier of student buy-in to EBPs the study shows that instructors must do two things; show that they buy-in to the practices, and gain the trust of their students.
Full Paper: Wang, C., et al. (2021). A Framework of College Student Buy-in to Evidence-Based Teaching Practices in STEM: The Roles of Trust and Growth Mindset. CBE—Life Sciences Education, 20(4), ar54.