| Despite a recent surge in enrollments, computer science (CS) programs in United States higher education continue to face substantial diversity and attrition problems. Faculty can ameliorate these issues by using evidence-based instructional techniques in their classrooms, but scholars suggest that most CS faculty do not adopt these practices. To better promote usage, it is necessary to understand what influences educators to become aware of, try out, and routinely use new teaching strategies. Using survey data from 821 CS faculty representing approximately 565 institutions in the United States, the studies presented here investigate three topics related to faculty adoption of innovative teaching practices. The first study assesses the current state of CS higher education, establishing that traditional instructional methods are in fact more diffused than innovative techniques among faculty. Despite minor differences between faculty types, most educators try new teaching strategies, implying that promotional efforts for innovative teaching should target all faculty. The second study examines the considerations faculty use in deciding to adopt innovations, analyzed through the theoretical lenses of Innovation Diffusion Theory and the Technology Acceptance Model 2 (TAM2). Results indicate that faculty are primarily motivated by concerns for their students, a construct largely unaccounted for in both theories. Liberal education mindset predicted the adoption of student course experience interventions, but in general, motivations were similar across innovation types. Finally, drawing on theories on obtrusive and unobtrusive control, the third study examines how organizational features influence adoption and other professional behaviors. Findings indicate the importance of teaching and research in tenuring decisions, faculty members' tenure status, and organizational culture influence faculties' professional activities, but only research value in tenure influenced innovation adoption. Implications for promoting pedagogical innovations are discussed. |
