Professional Development

Ethnography & Evaluation Research (E&ER) has studied several programs that address professional development for STEM educators and scientists at various career stages. In higher education, these include faculty leadership development, women’s career advancement, and STEM teaching. Our work in K-12 education has focused on teacher professional development. Also see our work on professional development of scientists for their education outreach roles.

We have worked to develop and understand a variety of descriptive and evaluative measures to characterize teaching practices and change in these practices over time.

IBL Workshops in Mathematics

We have written extensively about the outcomes and processes for a decade-long series of intensive workshops on teaching college mathematics with inquiry-based learning. An overview of this work is available in our project summary for the last of these projects (PRODUCT), and many more details for PRODUCT and prior workshop projects are provided in the Research and Evaluation sections below. 

Laursen, S. L., Archie, T., & Hayward, C. N. (2021). Collaborative Research: PROfessional Development and Uptake through Collaborative Teams (PRODUCT) Supporting Inquiry Based Learning in Undergraduate Mathematics. Project Outcomes Report. 

Evaluation of the IBL Centers workshops was supported by the National Science Foundation under award DUE-0920126 and by the Educational Advancement Foundation. Evaluation of the SPIGOT workshops was supported under NSF award DUE-1225658. Evaluation of the PRODUCT project and cumulative analysis of the workshop data were supported under DUE-1525077. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in these reports are those of the researchers, and do not necessarily represent the official views, opinions, or policy of the funders.

IBL Centers Workshops (2010-2013) 

As evaluators for four universities who have offered intensive week-long workshops on inquiry-based learning in college mathematics, we are documenting immediate and longer-term changes in faculty knowledge, beliefs, and teaching practices as a result of participating in a workshop. The results highlight the impact of multi-day, interactive workshops that help faculty learn teaching methods, think through problems, and plan their own course.

  • Hayward, C., & Laursen, S. (2014). Collaborative Research: Research, Dissemination, and Faculty Development of Inquiry-Based Learning (IBL) Methods in the Teaching and Learning of Mathematics; Cumulative Evaluation Report: 2010-2013.  [Report to the National Science Foundation] Ethnography & Evaluation Research, University of Colorado Boulder. [Executive Summary] [Full report]
  • See also Research Products (above) led by Marina Kogan and Chuck Hayward, 2012-2016.

SPIGOT Workshops (2013-2015) 

Evaluation of a second series of multi-day, interactive workshops on inquiry-based learning (IBL) in college mathematics shows that a high proportion of participating instructors are implementing IBL approaches in their own classrooms. Their implementation is supported by active discussion on a cohort-based e-mail list.

  • Hayward, C., & Laursen, S. (2016, March).  Collaborative Research: Supporting Pedagogical Innovation for a Generation of Transformation via Inquiry-Based Learning in Mathematics (SPIGOT), Cumulative Report: Workshops 1-4.  [Report to the National Science Foundation] Boulder, CO:  Ethnography & Evaluation Research. Report Appendix - Instruments]   [Combined set of all SPIGOT formative & summative evaluation reports]
  • Hayward, C., & Laursen, S. (2013, October).  Collaborative Research: Supporting Pedagogical Innovation for a Generation of Transformation via Inquiry-Based Learning in Mathematics (SPIGOT).  Evaluation Report:  Workshop 1 at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, June 24-27, 2013.  [Report to SPIGOT]  Ethnography & Evaluation Research, University of Colorado Boulder.
  • See also Research Products (above) led by Chuck Hayward, 2017-2018, on workshop follow-up mechanisms.

PRODUCT Workshops (2015-2020) 

Using the same tools developed for the IBL Centers and SPIGOT workshops, we studied a third series of multi-day, interactive workshops on inquiry-based learning (IBL) in college mathematics. We provide formative and summative evaluation feedback to the PRODUCT project offered by the Academy of Inquiry Based Learning.

We developed a structural model of workshop participant outcomes that is based on Ajzen's (1991) theory of planned behavior. We can do this using the large, combined data set from the three workshop series combined (IBL Centers, SPIGOT, PRODUCT) because they are broadly similar in design and implementation (see Research Products, above). The structural model suggests that the workshops affect instructors' skills, knowledge and attitudes. These in turn influence instructors' intention to use IBL and their reported intensity of use. Their work contexts matter too, especially specific features of their local course context that simplify and thus support implementation of IBL.

In addition, we are exploring questions of how workshops of different types (face to face or online, longer or shorter duration) play a role in supporting instructors to learn, develop interest, and implement IBL approaches.  

Summer intensive workshops - examples of formative reports
  • Archie, T., Daly, D., & Laursen, S. (2020, March). Collaborative Research: PROfessional Development and Uptake through Collaborative Teams (PRODUCT) Supporting Inquiry Based Learning in Undergraduate Mathematics. Combined Evaluation Reports: 2019 Workshops. [Report to AIBL] Boulder, CO: Ethnography & Evaluation Research, University of Colorado Boulder.
  • Archie, T., Hayward, C., Daly, D., & Laursen, S. (2021, April). Collaborative Research: PROfessional Development and Uptake through Collaborative Teams (PRODUCT) Supporting Inquiry Based Learning in Undergraduate Mathematics. Follow-Up Report: 2019 Workshops. [Report to AIBL] Boulder, CO: Ethnography & Evaluation Research, University of Colorado Boulder.
Summer intensive workshops - summative reports
  • Archie, T., Hayward, C., & Laursen, S. (2021, July). Collaborative Research: PROfessional Development and Uptake through Collaborative Teams (PRODUCT) Supporting Inquiry Based Learning in Undergraduate Mathematics. Cumulative Evaluation Report: 2016-2020. [Report to AIBL] Boulder, CO: Ethnography & Evaluation Research, University of Colorado Boulder.  
  • Laursen, S., Hayward, C., Archie, T., & Daly, D. (2021, August). Collaborative Research: PROfessional Development and Uptake through Collaborative Teams (PRODUCT) Supporting Inquiry Based Learning in Undergraduate Mathematics. Synthesis and Study Methods: Final Version. [Report to AIBL] Boulder, CO: Ethnography & Evaluation Research, University of Colorado Boulder.
  • See also Research Products (above) led by Tim Archie, 2020-2021.
Online intensive workshops
  • Daly, D., Ethnography & Evaluation Research, & the Academy of Inquiry Based Learning (2021, June). AIBL Handbook for Online Professional Development: Lessons Learned from PRODUCT Workshops. Boulder, CO, and San Luis Obispo, CA: University of Colorado Boulder, Ethnography & Evaluation Research; and Academy of Inquiry Based Learning. https://tinyurl.com/AIBLHandbook
  • Archie, T., Daly, D., & Laursen, S. (2021, April). Collaborative Research: PROfessional Development and Uptake through Collaborative Teams (PRODUCT) Supporting Inquiry Based Learning in Undergraduate Mathematics. Evaluation Report: 2020 Online Workshops. [Report to AIBL] Boulder, CO: Ethnography & Evaluation Research, University of Colorado Boulder.
Traveling workshop series - formative and summative reports

Two-year college biology teaching

E&ER conducted a needs assessment about teaching and professional development in two-year college biology, including a survey and literature review, and studied the workshops that were developed in response to these needs.

Archie, T., Wise, S. B., Robalino, J., & Laursen, S. (2024). Factors influencing the use of evidence-based instructional practices by community college biology instructors. CBE—Life Sciences Education, 23(4), ar43. [open access]

Wise, S. B., Archie, T., & Laursen, S. (2022). Exploring two-Year college biology instructors’ preferences around teaching strategies and professional development. CBE—Life Sciences Education, 21(2), ar39. [open access]

This work was supported by the HHMI BioInteractive program of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, under grant numbers GT16734 and GT14866. The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed in this work are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

Open software in mathematics 

We served as evaluators for UTMOST, Undergraduate Teaching in Mathematics with Open Software and Textbooks, which supported faculty development and implementation for mathematics instructors to use Sage open-source software and Sage-based open-source textbook materials in their classroom teaching. Results highlight the outcomes of Sage EDU Days and the team's working process.

Evaluation of UTMOST was supported under NSF award DUE-1020687. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in these reports are those of the researchers, and do not necessarily represent the official views, opinions, or policy of the funders.

Professional development for women scientists

We evaluated career development workshops for women scientists.  To learn about this work, visit our page on ADVANCE Partnerships, Workshops for Women Faculty.

As part of our evaluation work for the Biological Sciences Initiative (BSI) at the University of Colorado at Boulder, E&ER studied a classroom outreach program in which graduate student scientists visit K-12 classrooms to present inquiry-based science lessons. Benefits to students and teachers suggest the potential and limitations of short-term classroom interventions. Graduate student scientists experienced powerful professional growth as effective teachers and reported significant impacts on their career paths.

Research publications

Evaluation reports

Drawing on data from three evaluation studies of innovations in STEM undergraduate education in chemistry and astronomy, this synthetic analysis portrays the work of teaching assistants in undergraduate courses and identifies how they can help—or hinder—educational innovation. Interview data from TAs offers insights about the sources of student resistance and identifies TAs’ professional development needs.

  • Seymour, E, with Melton, G., Wiese, D. J., & Pedersen-Gallegos, L. (2005). Partners in Innovation: Teaching Assistants in College Science Courses. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.

As evaluators for CoMInDS, the College Mathematics Instructors Development Source, we gathered data to assess needs and improve programming for people who lead teaching professional development for graduate TAs in mathematics departments.  We also developed profiles of different types of TAPD programs to help TAPD leaders choose and refine their own program model. See "Preparation of Graduate Students for Teaching" for more about this work.

We evaluated a Massively Open Online Course (MOOC) on evidence-based STEM teaching, developed by members of the Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching, and Learning (CIRTL Network). The evaluation focused on MOOC-centered learning communities and how facilitators prepared for and led them. The formative reports provided here are data sources that informed later publications.

  • Goldberg, B. B., Bruff, D. O., Greenler, R. McC., Barnicle, K., Green, N. H., Campbell, L. E. P., Laursen, S. L., Ford, M. J., Serafini, A., Mack, C., Carley, T. L., Maimone, C., & Campa III, H. (2023). Preparing future STEM faculty through flexible teaching professional development. PLoS ONE 18(10), e0275349. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0276349 [open access].
  • Laursen, S. (2016, May). Summary of MCLC facilitator survey data. [Report to CIRTL MOOC team] Boulder, CO: Ethnography & Evaluation Research, University of Colorado Boulder.
  • Laursen, S. (2017, November). Evaluation of CIRTL MOOC-Centered Learning Communities. [Report to CIRTL MOOC team] Boulder, CO: Ethnography & Evaluation Research, University of Colorado Boulder.

Evaluation of CoMInDS was supported by the National Science Foundation under award DUE-1432381. Evaluation of the BSI was supported by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Evaluation of the CIRTL MOOC was supported by the National Science Foundation under award DUE-1347605.  Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in these reports are those of the researchers, and do not necessarily represent the official views, opinions, or policy of the funder.

Evaluation work for LEAP, an ADVANCE Institutional Transformation project at the University of Colorado at Boulder, identified faculty gains from participating in multi-day leadership workshops. Other analyses identified faculty development needs at the individual, departmental, and institutional levels.

Research publications

Evaluation reports

Studies for LEAP were supported by the National Science Foundation under award HRD-0123636. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in these reports are those of the researchers, and do not necessarily represent the official views, opinions, or policy of the NSF.  

E&ER has worked with CU Boulder’s Biological Sciences Initiative on its teacher professional development programs. We have examined immediate post-workshop and longer-term outcomes from the BSI’s one- to three-day workshops focused on basic science concepts, cutting-edge scientific developments, or new technologies in the life sciences. Evaluation findings from surveys and interviews indicate teachers’ growth in content understanding, confidence in their ability to teach these ideas, and a sense of being supported by a network of colleagues and the BSI staff. Many teachers reported making classroom use of new teaching materials. Relatively few teachers reported gains in pedagogical content knowledge, and teachers did not always perceive ways to adjust workshop materials for their own students, curriculum, or other constraints.

These resources assist professional developers in conceptualizing and preparing for their role in helping faculty understand, select and adopt strategies for more effective teaching. 

We are interested in questions about how to measure change in teaching, as a result of professional development or departmental change work. Our research on developing, evaluating and applying measures of teaching is ongoing.

Development and applications of survey measures

  • Archie, T., Hayward, C. N., Yoshinobu, S., & Laursen, S. L. (2022). Investigating the linkage between professional development and mathematics instructors’ use of teaching practices using the theory of planned behavior. PLoS ONE 17(4), e0267097. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0267097 (open access)
  • Hayward, C. N., Kogan, M., & Laursen, S. L. (2016). Facilitating instructor adoption of inquiry-based learning in college mathematics. International Journal of Research in Undergraduate Mathematics Education, 2(1), 59-82. Published online 11/25/2015.  DOI 10.1007/s40753-015-0021-y
  • Laursen, S., & Archie, T. (2025). Not-so-secret watchers: What students can tell us about teaching. 27th Conference on Research in Undergraduate Mathematics Education, Alexandria, VA, February 27-March 1. [Conference paper]
  • Weston, T. J.; Laursen, S. L.; & Archie, T. (2024). Exploring the adoption of research-based instructional strategies in undergraduate mathematics with the Teacher-Centered Systematic Reform model. In Cook S., Katz, B., & Moore-Russo, D. (Eds.), forthcoming. Proceedings of the 26th Annual Conference on Research in Undergraduate Mathematics Education. Omaha, NE.  [Conference paper]

Development and applications of observation measures

  • Hayward, C. N., Laursen, S. L., & Weston, T. J. (2017). TAMI-OP: Toolkit for Assessing Mathematics Instruction – Observation Protocol. Boulder, CO: Ethnography & Evaluation Research, University of Colorado Boulder.
  • Hayward, C. N., Weston, T. J., & Laursen, S. L. (2018). First results from a validation study of TAMI: Toolkit for Assessing Mathematics Instruction. In A. Weinberg, C. Rasmussen, J. Rabin, M. Wawro, & S. Brown (Eds.), Proceedings of the 21st Annual Conference on the Research in Undergraduate Mathematics Education (pp. 727-735). San Diego, CA: Mathematical Association of America, SIGMAA on RUME. [Conference paper]
  • Weston, T. J., Hayward, C. N., & Laursen, S. L. (2021). When seeing is believing: Generalizability and decision studies for observational data in evaluation and research on teaching. American Journal of Evaluation, 42(3).  [Author accepted MS]
  • Weston, T. J., Laursen, S. L., & Hayward, C. N. (2023). Measures of success: Characterizing teaching and teaching change with segmented and holistic observation data. International Journal of STEM Education 10​, 24. [Open access]
  • Weston, T. J., Laursen, S. L., & Hayward, C. N. (2023). Using latent profile analysis to assess teaching change.  25th Annual Conference on Research in Undergraduate Mathematics Education, Omaha, NE, Feb. 23-25. [Conference paper]
  • Wise, S., Gallion, K., & Laursen, S. (2024). Exploration of TAMI-OP as a professional development tool for mathematics instructors. In Cook S., Katz, B., & Moore-Russo, D. (Eds.), forthcoming. Proceedings of the 26th Annual Conference on Research in Undergraduate Mathematics Education. Omaha, NE. [Conference paper]

Other measures

Multiple measures

  • American Association for the Advancement of Science [AAAS] (2013). Describing & Measuring Undergraduate STEM Teaching Practices. Washington, DC: AAAS.  Note: E&ER personnel contributed but did not lead this report. The report is useful and difficult to find online, so it is archived here.
  • Hayward, C. N., Archie, T., Daly, D., Weston, T. J., & Laursen, S. L. (2022). The cycle of inquiry: Building effective evaluation relationships to support continuous improvement of faculty development initiatives. In S. Linder, C. Lee, K. High (Eds.), Handbook of STEM Faculty Development, Information Age Publishing, Charlotte, NC. [Author approved manuscript]  [Handbook table of contents]
  • Laursen, S., Weston, T., Archie, T., Hayward, C., Gallion, K. (2023). Measuring what matters: Characterizing change in instructor practice in college mathematics. Session on "Highlights from Research on Instructors' Learning about Teaching," Joint Mathematics Meetings, Boston, MA, January 6. [Video presentation, 22 minutes]
  • Laursen, S. L., Archie, T., Weston, T. J., Hayward, C. N., & Yoshinobu, S. (2023).  A measurement hat trick: Evidence from a survey and two observation protocols about instructional change after intensive professional development. 25th Annual Conference on Research in Undergraduate Mathematics Education, Omaha, NE, Feb. 23-25. [Conference paper]

These studies were supported by the National Science Foundation under awards DUE-1245436 and DUE-1821704 and by the Spencer Foundation. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in these reports are those of the researchers, and do not necessarily represent the official views, opinions, or policy of the funder.