| Undergraduate science education continues to develop new ways of improving the teaching and learning of science. This study describes the efforts of four science faculty members involved in developing and teaching an innovative sequence of introductory physics courses. These courses were designed in a studio format using the SCALE-UP course model, previously developed by other researchers in physics education. These four faculty members developed a cooperative group structure among themselves that was critical in sustaining these innovative courses. Using Wenger's Communities of Practice framework, the interactions of this faculty group with each other and with students through different pedagogical practices were explored for their impacts on the teaching and learning of physics. Further investigation explored the impact of multiple contextual forces operating at several levels on the development and maintenance of the studio physics program. The findings that emerged provide insight into necessary social elements for helping faculty to implement pedagogical change and offer evidence for their impact on a specific effort. |
