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Objective/Research Question: This paper reports on data collected in a multi-year National Science Foundation grant project involving a professional development (PD) model built to support community college faculty as change agents (CAs). The research question was: How do disciplinary communities of practice (CoP) emerge among community college faculty working in teams? Methods: This research employed a mixed-method design. Data collection included interviews, focus-group sessions, reflective journals, observations, end-of-workshop evaluations, survey data with the 23 geoscience faculty CA, and data from a national survey. Data analysis used the principles of CoP. Results: When compared to other community college geoscience faculty nationally, the participants in our study reported greater levels of behaviors characteristic of CoP. The CoP emerged due to network building and resource sharing within the PD. The findings highlight the significance of structured PD on the development of robust disciplinary CoP. The initial orientation of CAs, existing institutional structures, and cultures of community colleges influenced the CoP. Putting lessons learned into practice, sharing outcomes, and leading regional PD for others contributed to strengthening of the CoP. Conclusions/Contributions: Intentional PD catalyzed the emergence of strong CoP among the community college geoscience faculty participants. The opportunities to connect with disciplinary colleagues teaching in community colleges who shared an interest in supporting student success and improving teaching practices and the opportunity to share lessons learned contributed to the CoP. Structured interactions, critical reflection, and leading colleagues in PD supported developing, maintaining, and growing the CoP.

Faculty professional development (PD) remains a powerful tool in activating inclusive teaching practices that increase success for a broader diversity of students. The "Supporting and Advancing Geoscience Education at Two-Year Colleges: Two-Year Faculty as Agents of Change" program demonstrates a PD model that increases use of evidence-based teaching practices and cultivates faculty as change agents. Classroom observations coupled with interviews and surveys of participants across three cohorts and student course outcomes data attest to the influence of the program in changes in practice at the classroom and program level and increased agency of faculty as leaders at their institution. Development of faculty leaders on campus supports classroom changes and provides a lever to scale institutional and regional change.

This chapter presents the experiences of adjunct faculty in the "SAGE 2YC: Faculty as Change Agents" project through the stories of five participants who share the influence of the project on them and their work. We describe the professional development that occurred in the project, which included learning with colleagues from across the country, implementing changes in their classroom teaching and beyond, and leading follow-on workshops in teams on campus and/or in the region. The participant stories illustrate how the project gave them agency and validated their work. Adjunct faculty make important contributions to student and faculty success, and there is power in engaging adjunct faculty as leaders and change agents and fully realizing their potential.

Drawing from examples of career development initiatives implemented by SAGE 2YC Faculty Change Agents, this chapter illustrates the role of career development in supporting the success of all community college students and guides faculty, administrators, and professional societies on how to advance student career development on a variety of scales. Career development as an integral component of community college science courses has major implications for increasing the diversity of science professionals, conveying the importance of science and scientific literacy in career sectors within and outside of the sciences, reducing equity gaps in students' career development as undergraduates, and facilitating skill-building necessary for the workforce. We urge community college science faculty and administrators to consider the powerful impact that career skill-building and career exploration have on students and encourage the adoption of career development activities at the classroom, program, and institutional levels.

This chapter presents the leadership journeys of five faculty who participated in the SAGE 2YC: Faculty as Change Agents project. These faculty stories illustrate the influence of the project on their leadership and work as mid-level administrative or grassroots leaders. Key to the project was the explicit inclusion of leadership development in the professional development (PD). Learning about organizational frames and leadership approaches, the experience of faculty participants designing and leading their own workshops, and the resulting community of practice contributed to the leadership development of faculty participants. Implications and recommendations for leadership development of faculty members, critically important for colleges, concludes the chapter.

This article reviews a virtual professional development program for STEM faculty conducted in 2020 in which, due to COVID, faculty participants had to adjust their teaching practices. The study found that the program's structure, focus, and ability to foster community helped sustain faculty members. Participants shared lessons learned through virtual workshops they led for others on their campuses.

This chapter addresses the engagement of geoscience societies with community college faculty, traces the emergence of the Geo2YC Division as a model for others, and provides examples that focus on ways to build a professional community.

This chapter summarizes the varied disciplinary society structures and synthesizes the ways to enhance the relationship between the disciplinary societies and their community college partners.

Community colleges are a major entry point for many students to post-secondary education, particularly for minority, first-generation, low-income, and older students. A range of factors including transfer-readiness, curricular alignment, financial barriers, and transfer guidance, influence successful transfer between two-year colleges (2YCs) and four-year colleges and universities (4YCs). One critical factor related to transfer-readiness may be the degree to which students have similar experiences in the development of key skills in their introductory courses. This study uses the 2016 National Geoscience Faculty Survey to compare self-reported teaching practices used by instructors in introductory geoscience courses that support the development of students' quantitative, data analysis, problem-based, communication, and metacognitive skills in 2YCs and 4YCs. Based on responses of 1,027 instructors (238 in 2YCs and 789 in 4YCs), a majority of the teaching practices in skills development in 2YCs are similar to those in 4YCs. Of the 24 teaching practices analyzed, seven displayed statistically significant differences after accounting for class size and active class time, however, the logistic models do not predict major differences between 2YCs and 4YCs. The findings of this study may serve to initiate discussions and collaborations between 2YCs and 4YCs, which could strengthen the transfer process and reduce challenges for transfer students.

The geoscience education research (GER) community has produced a collaborative research framework that summarizes guiding questions for future research to inform and improve undergraduate geoscience teaching and learning. The GER Framework (St. John [Ed.], 2018a) was developed through an iterative process involving multiple stages of community input. In total, approximately 200 geoscience educators and researchers contributed to this project in one or more of the following capacities: as authors, reviewers, survey respondents, workshop participants, webinar participants, town hall participants, and/or focus group participants. Review of survey data, reports, publications, and discussions resulted in a set of guiding questions and research strategies for ten research areas where individual researchers can make important contributions. While presented as distinct research areas, the ten themes have numerous cross-theme opportunities that integrate content areas, skills, and types of students. Cross-theme recommendations regarding strategies for future research are described here, along with suggested synergies with other national efforts in geoscience and STEM education.

The National Association of Geoscience Teachers' "Workshop for Early Career Geoscience Faculty: Teaching, Research, and Managing One's Career" has been offered annually since 1999. The five-day workshop with accompanying web resources employs a "whole faculty" approach to support geoscience faculty members during their transition into academic careers. More than 1,000 faculty members (53% female, 47% male) have attended the national workshop; 52% from doctoral-granting institutions, 15% master's, 28% bachelor's, and 5% associates. Evidence-based instructional practices are shared and modeled during workshop sessions. Situated learning theory grounds the workshop design and promotes the development of a community of practice. Examination of the 2016 National Geoscience Faculty Survey data using univariate analyses of covariance (ANCOVAs) showed that workshop alumni report spending more class time on student activities, questions, and discussion than faculty members who did not participate in the workshop, particularly on small group discussions or think-pair-share and in-class exercises (for introductory courses p < 0.05; for majors courses p < 0.001). Workshop alumni also were more likely than faculty who did not participate to report feeling part of a geoscience community that shares their goals, philosophy, and values for geoscience education (p < 0.01), more likely to report that interactions with this community help them to become better educators (p < 0.001), and more likely to attend talks on teaching methods or science education (p < 0.001). Although causality cannot be established without random assignment, these findings are consistent with the hypothesis that this discipline-based workshop with its holistic approach is effective at promoting evidence-based teaching strategies and a community of practice.

What is the extent to which college and university geoscience faculty report using education practices that contribute to more inclusive learning environments and engage a diverse population of students? In the 2016 National Geoscience Faculty Survey, faculty answered questions about their practices in a specific introductory or major course they had taught in the previous two years, and about how they share and learn about the content and methods used in their teaching. Based on factor analysis, 22 of the survey questions divided into four categories associated with inclusive teaching practices: geoscientist representations, curricular choices, learning strategies, and career pathways. The self-reported use of practices across these four categories varies greatly, with some used by as many as 71% of faculty respondents whereas others by only 8%. These data provide new information on the current state of teaching practices in the geosciences with regard to inclusive practices, and establish a baseline to which responses from future surveys may be compared. Univariate general modeling combined with ANOVA tests on the responses to the questions shows that education practices differ based on variables such as teaching style, communication with colleagues, years of teaching experience, faculty type, institution type, class size, and course type (introductory or major). These differences suggest opportunities for focused geoscience faculty development around education practices that support the success of a diverse population of undergraduate students and the enhancement of inclusive learning environments in the geosciences.

Faculty play an important role in attracting students to the geosciences, helping them to thrive in geoscience programs, and preparing them for careers. Thus, faculty have the responsibility to work toward broadening participation in the geosciences by implementing equitable and inclusive practices in their teaching and their programs. Faculty professional development that promotes diversity and inclusion is one way to move evidence-based practices into wider use. The adoption of these practices may be accelerated through a professional development diffusion model that amplifies the impacts through the work of faculty change agents. An example of this approach is the SAGE 2YC professional development program, in which faculty change agents learn and practice strategies during workshop sessions, implement changes in their own teaching, and then work in teams to lead workshops in their region under the auspices of the national program. Although this example focuses on two-year colleges, the model is applicable to faculty professional development more broadly. The success of the model is due in large part to a suite of leader-developed workshop sessions and curated resources that change agent teams may select and adapt for the regional workshops they lead. Furthermore, change agents are trusted colleagues, which makes adoption of the evidence-based practices by regional workshop participants more likely. Increased adoption of a change agent approach to faculty development will support the creation and sharing of additional resources, leading to wider diffusion and implementation of inclusive teaching practices.

Teaching portfolios can be used to document, improve, and evaluate teaching. Teaching portfolios typically include material from the instructor, material from others, and the products of good teaching. Describes teaching portfolios and different ways in which they can be used. Discusses portfolios in the context of peer review of teaching and offers suggestions for their preparation. (Author/PVD)

Describes two writing assignments for students in a large physical geology class. For the first assignment, students write two descriptions of the same rock. One is written for students and the instructor the other for people with no background in geology. For the second assignment they write one of four topics. (Author/PR)

Students write a short paper in which they describe and interpret the history of a geologic feature. Provides an introduction, logistics of the assignment, background and rationale for the writing process, suggestions for change, and conclusions. (RT)

Discusses using the geologic history of the Paleozoic era for presentations. Describes methodology involved including data collection, summarizing and presentations. Notes the approach has received an enthusiastic response from students and is a rewarding change from the traditional lecture format. (Author/MVL)

Discusses a variety of writing assignments emphasizing critical-thinking skills for a geology curriculum. The assignments include question and answer assignments, reaction papers, short papers, and position papers. The authors contend that several short writing assignments are better than a single term paper because students improve their writing and see the improvement. (PR)