Research on Faculty Development

David M. Irby, PhD

Patricia S. O’Sullivan, EdD

University of Bern MME Visit

July 20, 2015

Best Evidence FD• Participants report

• High satisfaction, positive attitudes and knowledge gains

• FD Programs produce • Improvements in teacher behaviors, student learning, collegial

networks, organizational practices

• Need rigorous designs & mixed methods

Amundsen, C., & Wilson, M. (2012). Are we asking the right questions? A conceptual review of the educational development literature in higher education. Review of Educational Research, 82(1), 90-126.

Stes, A., Min-Leliveld, M., Gijbels, D., & Van Petegem, P. (2010). The impact of instructional development in higher education: The state-of-the-art of the research. Educational Research Review, 5(1), 25-49.

Steinert et al. A systematic review of faculty development initiatives designed to improve teaching effectiveness in medical education: BEME Guide No. 8. Med Teach. 28 (6): 497-526, 2006.

Webster-Wright, A. (2009). Reframing professional development through understanding authentic professional learning Review of Educational Research, 79(2),702-739.

Students/Trainees

Student learner outcomes: • Higher performance• Higher ratings of teachers

Patients

Patient care outcomes:• Better patient care• Improved health outcomes

FacultyMember

3

FacultyMember

4

FacultyMember

5

FacultyMember

2FacultyMember1

Faculty member as learner outcomes:• Satisfaction with program• Changes in behaviors

IndividualFaculty

Members

Model of Faculty Development Research

Time to Reframe the Model

• Found this model limiting• Expanded literature search

• Continuing professional development (“learning”) in teacher education

• Continuing medical education• Quality Improvement• Workplace learning

• Reframed model

O’Sullivan P, Irby DM. Reframing Research on Faculty Development. Acad Med. 86(4): 422-428, 2011.

Faculty Development Community

“Teaching Commons”Program

Context

ParticipantsRelationships & Networks

in the Workplace

Organization, Systems & Culture in the Workplace

Tasks & Activities

in the Workplace

Mentoring & Coaching

in the Workplace

Facilitator

O’Sullivan & Irby, Acad. Med. 2011

New Model

Research Methodologies

O’Sullivan P, Irby D. Promoting Scholarship in Fac Dev. In Steinert Y. Faculty Development in the Health Professions. 2014.

• Observations• Interviews• Structured tasks• Focus groups• Document review

• Randomized/case control

• Correlational• Surveys• Network

analysis

Critical Theory

• Philosophical analysis

QualitativeExperimental & Quasi-

experimentalMixed

Methods

• Success cases• Educational design

research• Sustainability

narratives

Positivism and Post Positivism Interpretivism

Network Analysis

Post: “With whom have you become involved as a result of TSP?”

Pre: “Please describe your network of educators before you began TSP.”

Moses et al. Developing an Educator Network…Teach Learn Med. 2009; 21(3), 173-179.

Critical Theory• Definition

• Using philosophical analysis and mixed methods, challenges social injustices and advocates for empowerment and justice

• Questions for faculty development• Who is advantaged or marginalized by FD?• How does serving as a faculty developer impact one’s

professional identity and relationships with colleagues?

Bleakley, Brice, Bligh. Thinking the post-colonial in medical education. Medical Education, 2008; 42(3), 266-270.

Design Research

• Address theoretical questions about learning in context• Progressive refinement: Design experiments are

formative research to test and refine educational designs using theoretical principles

• Optimize to observe carefully how different elements are working

Collins, Bielaczyc. J Learn Sci. 2004: 13 (1) 15-42. Dolmans, Tigelaar Med Teach. 2012: 34, 1-10.

“Success” Stories

• Scholar 1: completed TSP, continued with other faculty development programs, she publishes extensively in medical education

• Scholar 2: completed TSP hooked on a specific topic, has published commentaries, hones his craft in clinic

• Scholar 3: completed TSP, publishes nothing, receives teaching awards, leads a unique clinical service on campus, excellent at program redesign

Success Cases• Clarify goals; do impact analysis profile• Administer brief survey to sample trainees• Analyze survey data; gauge scope of impact and

identify success & non-success cases• Conduct success case interviews• Analyze impact, performance data• Articulate conclusions & recommendations

http://www.blanchardtraining.com/img/pub/newsletter_brinkerhoff.pdfOlson et al JCEHP 31 (S1): S50-59, 2011

Sustainability Scenarios

• Sustainability planning and measurement in a six step process

• Step 3: Sustainability Scenarios“short description of how the local system can expect to achieve and maintain its vision in the long term. . . Identifies roles and responsibilities, capabilities, attributes of environment.”

Scheirer Am J Eval. September 2005; 26 (3), 320-347.www.cedarscenter.com   

Six Steps

http://www.mchipngo.net/lib/components/documents/susManualnoAnoC.pdf

Research Methodologies

O’Sullivan P, Irby D. Promoting Scholarship in Fac Dev. In Steinert Y. Faculty Development in the Health Professions. 2014.

• Observations• Interviews• Structured tasks• Focus groups• Document review

• Randomized/case control

• Correlational• Surveys• Network

analysis

Critical Theory

• Philosophical analysis

QualitativeExperimental & Quasi-

experimentalMixed

Methods

• Success cases• Educational design

research• Sustainability

narratives

Positivism and Post Positivism Interpretivism

Summary

• The new conceptual model of research on faculty development can shine a spotlight on new areas of research

• A wide variety of research methodologies are available to explore these areas