Conference: Status of the field of Discipline-Based Education Research

About This Grant

This project aims to serve the national interest to improve undergraduate STEM education by examining the status and trajectory of Discipline-Based Education Research. In 2012, the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine issued a report entitled Discipline-Based Education Research (DBER): Understanding and Improving Learning in Undergraduate Science and Engineering that outlined the promise of DBER in improving STEM education and made recommendations for advancing the field. The proposed project is intended as a follow-up to the 2012 study, to examine the current state of affairs in DBER. Significant progress has been made in recognizing and developing DBER as a field of study, with DBER scholars embedded in a variety of departments and translation of DBER findings into undergraduate STEM teaching practices. The proposed project intends to systematically examine the work accomplished since the release of the initial report, with the intention of articulating progress, identifying gaps in research and application of knowledge, and illuminating points of convergence and divergence between different disciplines engaged in DBER. The National Academies will convene a planning committee composed of approximately seven members with a broad understanding of the issues related to DBER, including professional learning, higher education administration, research administration, and institutional change. Through a series of meetings, the planning committee will create a list of potential topics to be covered in a larger workshop, as well as identify potential speakers, panelists, and discussants. A public workshop will be held in Washington DC, with potential attendees spanning a range of disciplines, institution types, career stages, and expertise. To increase accessibility, the workshop will be live-streamed, enabling virtual participation by individuals unable to attend in person. Workshop proceeding will be gathered, edited, and posted to the National Academies website and a public webinar will be held to discuss the main points identified in the workshop. The NSF IUSE: EDU Program supports research and development projects to improve the effectiveness of STEM education for all students. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.