Document Type
Article
Publication Date
10-2023
Original Citation
Elben-Zayas M,
Muller L,
Russell J.
Possibilities and pitfalls of practitioners in trying to apply change theory as viewed through the lens of Reinholz, White, and Andrews “Change theory in STEM higher education: a systematic review International Journal of STEM Education. 2023;10:53.
Keywords
JMG
JAX Source
International Journal of STEM Education. 2023;10:53.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s40594-023-00446-3
Grant
This work is supported by the National Science Foundation Division of Undergraduate Education under Grant No. 1819235.
Abstract
In their 2021 review paper, Reinholz, White, and Andrews noted that change efforts in STEM higher education do not engage deeply in change theory to guide interventions and research efforts, leading to disjointed attempts to influence change and a proliferation of theories. This superficial use of theory and tendency toward disjointed approaches creates barriers to generalized knowledge about change that can be applied by practitioners desiring to bring about change in their particular context. Reinholz and Andrews (2020) point out that the key elements of a theory of change include context, interventions, and indicators while considering rationale and assumptions in a specific project. Any project’s theory of change should be informed by change theory, and Reinholz et al. (2021) provide a systematic review of the change theories upon which a particular project might draw.
Comments
© The Author(s) 2023. Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.