Faculty Professional Development for Culturally Responsive Pedagogy in STEM Higher Education

Abstract

This chapter showcases the purpose, activities, and outcomes of the Teaching to Increase Diversity and Equity in STEM (TIDES) faculty professional development program, which significantly increased both faculty skill level and confidence with implementing culturally responsive pedagogies in the computer/information science disciplines. Starting with the structure of the application process, TIDES intentionally created an effective learning environment where computer and information science faculty could not only learn about culturally relevant teaching practices and the need for them, but also unlearn what they may have absorbed about historical inequities in society and higher education and address their implicit biases about who can and should succeed in STEM. Evaluative data indicate that TIDES exceeded all its target outcomes, so this chapter is shared to support the replication of a proven practice of professional development to foster culturally responsive pedagogy among STEM faculty and, therefore, to support the recruitment and retention of diverse students in STEM.