Curriculum Development as a Mechanism for Changing Science Faculty Knowledge and Beliefs About Teaching and Learning
Authors: Deborah Donovan, Carolyn Landel, Daniel Hanley, Jim Minstrell, Ruth Anderson

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5. Conclusions

The data strongly suggest that the professional development, curriculum development, and curriculum implementation activities had a profound impact on participating faculty. The knowledge and beliefs they developed about teaching and learning through reading published literature, designing instructional materials, and collaborating with their K12 and higher education peers combined to generate significant improvements in their higher-education classroom practice. Though institutional changes were also observed, it is unclear whether these changes have penetrated deep enough within the participating departments to exist independent of the faculty directly involved in the curriculum development process.

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