Description
Health science students like students in many disciplines exhibit difficulty with transferring content from one course to another. For example, the problem explored in this study occurred when overlapping concepts were presented in introductory biology and chemistry courses, but students could not transfer the concepts to the other disciplinary course. In this mixed method action research study, the author served as facilitator/leader of a group of colleagues tasked with investigating and taking steps to resolve this student learning transfer problem. This study outlines the details of how an interdisciplinary community of practice (CoP) formed between chemistry and biology faculty members at a community college to address the problem and the benefits resulting from the CoP. Quantitative and qualitative data were obtained from transcripts of meetings of the faculty members, notes from other formal and informal meetings, classroom visits, a questionnaire containing Likert and open-ended items and interviews. Transcripts, notes, and interviews were coded to determine common themes. Findings suggested the CoP was an effective means to deal with the matter of student transfer of content across courses. In particular, the CoP agreed to use similar terminology, created materials to be used consistently across the courses, and explored other transfer specific approaches that allowed for transfer of course content. Finally, the benefits of the CoP were due in large part to the collaboration that took place among participants.
Details
Title
- Cross-disciplinary collaboration between two science disciplines at a community college
Contributors
- Steele, Bronwen (Author)
- Buss, Ray (Thesis advisor)
- Zambo, Ron (Thesis advisor)
- Rivera, Rey (Committee member)
- Arizona State University (Publisher)
Date Created
The date the item was original created (prior to any relationship with the ASU Digital Repositories.)
2011
Subjects
- science education
- Adult Education
- Collaboration
- community college
- Community Of Practice
- cross-disciplinary
- Instruction
- Transfer of training
- Interdisciplinary approach in education
- Community college teachers
- Communities of practice
- Biology--Study and teaching (Higher)
- Chemistry--Study and teaching (Higher)
Resource Type
Collections this item is in
Note
- thesisPartial requirement for: Ed. D., Arizona State University, 2011
- bibliographyIncludes bibliographical references (p. 70-73)
- Field of study: Leadership and innovation (Teaching)
Citation and reuse
Statement of Responsibility
by Bronwen Steele