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Abstract
This qualitative research study aimed to discover what obstacles and supports community college teachers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) face when teaching critical-thinking skills in their courses. The research was conducted using a basic qualitative research design that employed interviews to learn about the experiences of community college teachers currently teaching in STEM disciplines. Participants were asked to describe what obstacles they faced when attempting to plan and conduct critical-thinking education in their courses and what support they had for teaching these skills. Interview transcripts were analyzed using a constant comparative method to determine common themes. Findings of the study included the following obstacles: underprepared students, students' poor dispositions, teachers' limited time and effort, limited training of teachers, and the need to prepare students for future courses and assessments that are not based on critical thinking. Support for teachers was split into negative and positive aspects, with peer group support and resources from professional organizations reported as positive aspects and administrative requirements and isolation reported as negative aspects. The negative responses were reported by adjunct faculty more often than by full-time faculty.
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Christa Evangelisto
Christa Evangelisto ([email protected]) is a biology department chair in the Division of Engineering, Technology, Mathematics, and Sciences at Dallas College in Dallas, Texas.