This project proposes to critically review, integrate, and align the research literatures and perspectives of scholars in three fields: the Disciplinary-based STEM Education Researchers (SER), who focus on change in curricula and pedagogical materials; the Faculty Development Researchers (FDR), who focus on changing faculty and the Higher Education Researchers (HER) who evaluate the policies and structures at various organizational levels that support or impede change. The method will be a meta-synthesis of the three research literatures followed by a four x four classification scheme: change activities and strategies by change concepts and theories that have the most promise for future work. (One or more classifications will be given to each literature entry and literature with credible evidence will be given priority in the scheme.)The ultimate aim of the project is to support the development of an interdisciplinary research and practice agenda for STEM instructional improvement. This process will be strengthened by interviews with 10 leading practitioners in each area followed by the Delphi technique, because practice is often not specified in the literature. The outcomes of this synthesis project will be used to identify: 1) change activities, strategies, concepts, and theories across communities 2) common themes among disparate literatures; 3) evidence to support each change activity and strategy; and 4) promising directions for future research, theory-building, and funding.
