Research
Discipline-based education research (DBER) investigates the teaching and learning within the context of the discipline. Overall, the Bergan-Roller Biology Education Research (B-BER) program aims to help students succeed in the context of undergraduate STEM programs. To facilitate this success, we have several branches.
Research Branches
Developing skills in undergraduate biology students
Developing skills in undergraduate biology students
Developing skills in undergraduate biology students
- Science communication
- Modeling
- Class preparation
Broadening participation in STEM
Developing skills in undergraduate biology students
Developing skills in undergraduate biology students
- Building community
- Learning assistant (LAs)
- Inclusive teaching
Interdisciplinary DBER
Developing skills in undergraduate biology students
Cultivating students' ideas
- Student motivation
- Chemistry instructors' practices and perceptions of teaching
- Instructors' beliefs about Math and Science
Cultivating students' ideas
Developing skills in undergraduate biology students
Cultivating students' ideas
Students are encouraged to pursue their passions. Check out student projects on the People page
Ongoing projects
DARE Collaboration
Impetus
2020 brought unexpected systemic disruption with COVID-19 pandemic and social injustices caught on camera and spurring protests. These events exposed many flaws in the education system including the inequities too common in STEM courses. To help address these issues, a collaboration of five faculty, across diverse institutions, demographics, and expertise, came together in an effort to make undergraduate STEM education more inclusive at an iEMBER conference. We have continued to work together to investigate instructors' practices and perceptions of incorporating race, racism, and racial equity in biology courses.
Team
Sayali Kukday, PhD, Iowa State University, Discipline-based education research
Vance McCracken, PhD, Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville, Biology
Candice Idlebird, PhD, Claflin University, Sociology
Heather Bergan-Roller, PhD, Northern Illinois University, Discipline-based education research
Nicole Scheuermann, MS, Northern Illinois University, Discipline-based education research
