Convergence of Faculty and Administrator Perceptions of Institutionalizing Flipped Teaching in STEM Courses

Multiple lines of evidence point to the value of student-centered teaching methods for closing gaps in persistence in STEM between majority students and minoritized groups. Yet, faculty members will be hesitant to undertake the significant effort required to redesign instruction if they perceive a lack of administrative support to move away from the traditional lecture format. Our project supported two cohorts, each composed of STEM faculty instructors from both a regional public university and a local two-year institution, to design and deliver a course in a flipped format. The cohort members participated as a community of practice, sharing their experiences, resources, and ideas with each other over multiple years. Project research examined faculty and administrator (chairs and deans) attitudes towards flipped teaching. Results of Likert scale and open-ended surveys showed that both faculty and administrator respondents supported flipped teaching and characterized it as more engaging for students than traditional teaching. Administrators encouraged adoption of flipped teaching beyond their department, while also recognizing the need for broader institutional support such as ongoing training and physical infrastructure. For these two institutions, faculty and administrator perceptions of a student-centered teaching approach did not significantly differ. Raising faculty awareness of positive administrator attitudes towards course reform, if present within an institution, would help lower a potential barrier and increase motivation for transformation in STEM education.