Examining the influence of <i>Vision and Change</i> and a mentoring network on teaching philosophies and strategies

The 2011 report <i>Vision and Change: A Call to Action</i> (<i>V&C</i>) resulted from a national effort to rethink biology curriculum. <i>V&C</i> outlines core concepts and core competencies for biology undergraduates and promotes evidence-based pedagogy, undergraduate research, and inclusive practices. However, it is unclear how much biology educators know about <i>V&C</i> and what motivates educators' development of their teaching philosophy and practices. We leveraged the Promoting Active Learning and Mentoring (PALM) Network, a group that introduced evidence-based instructional practices (EBIPs) to instructors through mentoring, journal clubs, and a community of practice, to investigate how much <i>V&C</i> has influenced educator knowledge and motivation. Through focus groups, 16 mentors and 22 fellows were asked about their motivations to join PALM, familiarity with <i>V&C</i>, how they learned about <i>V&C</i>, and how PALM and/or <i>V&C</i> shaped the development of their teaching philosophies and strategies. We found that the teaching philosophies and practices of these educators align strongly with <i>V&C</i> principles. <i>V&C</i> provided expectancy (established value), while PALM contributed to greater instructor self-efficacy in EBIPs, overall resulting in reformed teaching philosophies and practices. This model highlights the importance of mentorship and community to successfully drive biology education reform.