IMPACT OF UNWELCOME STUDENT BEHAVIORS ON STEM INSTRUCTORS AND INSTRUCTIONAL DECISION MAKING

Instruction is a term that refers to “the combination of teaching and learning ... [and] any activity that is intended to induce learning” (Black & William, 2009). Thus, the instructional environment comprises the experiences of both students and instructors. While much attention is given to conditions needed to foster positive learning environments for students in the undergraduate STEM classroom, less attention has been given to the conditions needed to foster positive teaching environments for instructors. To aid in filling this gap in knowledge, this study aims to answer the following two research questions. RQ1: What types of experiences with unwelcome student behaviors to STEM instructors encounter early in their teaching careers? RQ2: How do STEM instructors’ experiences with unwelcome student behaviors influence their approach to teaching?

This study is grounded in Einarsen’s (2000) theoretical framework for workplace bullying and harassment. The methodology used is an exploratory sequential research design that utilizes mixed methods. The results of a literature review of 61 peer-reviewed articles about unwelcome student behaviors were used to develop an interview protocol. Thirty-two faculty members at one major public university participated in interviews. The results of those interviews informed the design of a survey aimed at capturing a larger number of faculty members’ experiences with unwelcome student behaviors. Over 300 faculty members at one major public university completed the survey.

Applying a combination of qualitative and quantitative data analyses to the interview and survey data, this presentation answers the two aforementioned research questions. The presentation concludes with implications for classroom STEM instruction and recommendations for supporting STEM instructors in their teaching of undergraduate STEM courses.