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AIS SIGED International Conference on Information Systems Education and Research (SIGED) (2023) AI Processed Human Approved
Efficacy Beliefs and Outcomes:Socio-Cognitive Perspectives on a Faculty-Led coP
This study examines the collaborative redesign of an introductory information systems course at a US university through the theoretical lenses of Communities of Practice and Social Cognitive Theory. Using a participatory action research approach, the authors analyzed qualitative interview data, field notes, and student pre- and post-test assessment scores to evaluate the impact on course quality and instructor self-efficacy.
Problem
Introductory multi-section university courses frequently suffer from inconsistent instructional quality, varying depth of coverage, and minimal collaboration among instructors. Additionally, standard faculty development models often fail to provide experienced instructors with effective collaborative mechanisms that enhance their confidence to adopt shared pedagogical practices.
Outcome
- Student performance showed consistent, measurable gains across multiple semesters following the course redesign, as demonstrated by improved pre- and post-test assessment deltas.
- Participation in the community of practice positively impacted instructors' self-efficacy beliefs, with vicarious learning and peer verbal persuasion emerging as key drivers of confidence.
- The collaborative approach established high course consistency across sections while creating a durable, supportive framework for peer mentoring and ongoing curriculum enhancement.
- Participation in the community of practice positively impacted instructors' self-efficacy beliefs, with vicarious learning and peer verbal persuasion emerging as key drivers of confidence.
- The collaborative approach established high course consistency across sections while creating a durable, supportive framework for peer mentoring and ongoing curriculum enhancement.
What it means for you
- CIO / IT Executive: On Monday morning, schedule a 30-minute meeting with your IT academic technology support lead to explore a pilot program implementing a Communities of Practice model for a high-enrollment introductory course, using the provided research as a framework for discussion on potential student outcome improvements and faculty development.
- IT Manager: On Monday morning, gather the instructors for the introductory information systems course for a 45-minute session. Share the key findings of this research, specifically highlighting the gains in student performance and instructor self-efficacy. Then, collaboratively brainstorm one small, concrete change to the course syllabus or assessment that can be implemented next semester as a collective first step towards greater consistency.
- Business Strategist: On Monday morning, analyze the current onboarding and ongoing professional development process for new faculty teaching foundational courses. Identify any gaps in collaborative support and informal learning opportunities, and consider how principles from this research, such as vicarious learning and peer persuasion, could be integrated into existing programs to improve faculty confidence and course consistency.
- Researcher: On Monday morning, begin drafting a proposal for a follow-up study. Focus on investigating the specific mechanisms of vicarious learning and peer verbal persuasion within the identified Community of Practice, perhaps through targeted surveys or observation protocols, to quantify their impact on instructor self-efficacy and to better understand how to scale these findings.
- Policymaker: On Monday morning, initiate a discussion with the Provost's office and the Faculty Senate leadership to present the findings of this research. Propose the development of a university-wide framework or grant program that incentivizes and supports the formation of faculty Communities of Practice for foundational courses, emphasizing the potential for improved student learning outcomes and faculty development.
Transcript
Host: Welcome to A.I.S. Insights — powered by Living Knowledge. I'm Anna Ivy Summers. Today, we're exploring a fascinating study titled "Efficacy Beliefs and Outcomes: Socio-Cognitive Perspectives on a Faculty-Led coP."
Expert: Thanks, Anna. I'm Alex Ian Sutherland. This study looks at how a team of university instructors used a self-organized Community of Practice to completely redesign an introductory information systems course. It evaluates the impact of that collaboration on both student learning outcomes and the instructors' own confidence and teaching beliefs.
Host: Let's start with the real-world problem here, Alex. Why was a redesign necessary in the first place?
Expert: Well, introductory college courses—much like foundational training programs in corporate settings—face a common hurdle. They are often taught across multiple sections by different instructors. That usually leads to inconsistent quality, varying depth of coverage, and instructors working in isolated silos.
Host: Right, and if everyone is doing their own thing, the student experience varies wildly.
Expert: Exactly. In this case, available textbooks were either too technical or overly focused on business theory. On top of that, traditional professional development models usually involve top-down mentoring aimed at novices, which doesn't effectively engage experienced professionals who already have years of expertise.
Host: So how did the researchers address this challenge in the study?
Expert: They used an approach called participatory action research. The faculty members formed a Community of Practice, completely dropped traditional textbooks, and collaboratively built the curriculum around ten fundamental business-technology questions.
Host: Ten core questions? How did they divide that work up among the team?
Expert: Each instructor acted as a Subject Matter Expert for two or three specific topics, drawing on their industry and research experience. But here's the key step: each expert actually taught and presented their modules directly to their fellow colleagues. The group provided feedback, debated the level of rigor, and refined the content together before taking it to the classroom.
Host: That sounds like a rigorous peer review process. What were the main outcomes of this collaborative approach?
Expert: The results were impressive on two distinct fronts. First, student performance improved dramatically. The study tracked pre- and post-test assessment scores over eight semesters. After the redesign, student learning gains—measured by the delta between pre- and post-tests—increased from around fifteen to twenty percent up to over thirty-four percent in subsequent semesters. Correct responses on individual key questions jumped to over eighty percent.
Host: That is a substantial improvement in student outcomes. What about the instructors themselves?
Expert: That's where the Social Cognitive Theory lens provides great insight. Normally, research suggests that personal mastery—actually doing the job yourself—is the biggest driver of confidence. But for these experienced instructors, two other sources of self-efficacy became dominant: vicarious learning and peer verbal persuasion.
Host: Meaning watching their colleagues present and getting direct feedback from peers?
Expert: Precisely. Seeing how a colleague explained a complex topic gave others the confidence and tools to teach that same material effectively in their own sections. Constructive feedback and validation from peers provided a massive boost to their teaching efficacy. Plus, it established incredible course consistency—any instructor could step in for another without losing a beat.
Host: This has huge implications beyond higher education. How does this apply to the corporate world and business leadership?
Expert: It's directly applicable to organizational knowledge management and upskilling. Traditional enterprise training relies on top-down instructions or individual training modules, which rarely build true collective capability. By establishing Communities of Practice, organizations can break down department silos and democratize knowledge.
Host: So instead of sending employees to a generic seminar, leaders can build internal peer-to-peer networks.
Expert: Exactly. It creates a safe environment for cross-training, validates experienced team members, and ensures that critical organizational knowledge is standardized and shared rather than locked inside one expert's head.
Host: That is a powerful takeaway for any business looking to improve internal training and team collaboration. To wrap things up, this study demonstrates that when experts collaborate, teach each other, and refine content as a community, both learning outcomes and professional confidence soar. Alex, thank you so much for breaking down the research for us today.
Expert: My pleasure, Anna.
Host: And thank you to our listeners for tuning in to A.I.S. Insights — powered by Living Knowledge. Join us next time for more insights at the intersection of technology, education, and business strategy.
Expert: Thanks, Anna. I'm Alex Ian Sutherland. This study looks at how a team of university instructors used a self-organized Community of Practice to completely redesign an introductory information systems course. It evaluates the impact of that collaboration on both student learning outcomes and the instructors' own confidence and teaching beliefs.
Host: Let's start with the real-world problem here, Alex. Why was a redesign necessary in the first place?
Expert: Well, introductory college courses—much like foundational training programs in corporate settings—face a common hurdle. They are often taught across multiple sections by different instructors. That usually leads to inconsistent quality, varying depth of coverage, and instructors working in isolated silos.
Host: Right, and if everyone is doing their own thing, the student experience varies wildly.
Expert: Exactly. In this case, available textbooks were either too technical or overly focused on business theory. On top of that, traditional professional development models usually involve top-down mentoring aimed at novices, which doesn't effectively engage experienced professionals who already have years of expertise.
Host: So how did the researchers address this challenge in the study?
Expert: They used an approach called participatory action research. The faculty members formed a Community of Practice, completely dropped traditional textbooks, and collaboratively built the curriculum around ten fundamental business-technology questions.
Host: Ten core questions? How did they divide that work up among the team?
Expert: Each instructor acted as a Subject Matter Expert for two or three specific topics, drawing on their industry and research experience. But here's the key step: each expert actually taught and presented their modules directly to their fellow colleagues. The group provided feedback, debated the level of rigor, and refined the content together before taking it to the classroom.
Host: That sounds like a rigorous peer review process. What were the main outcomes of this collaborative approach?
Expert: The results were impressive on two distinct fronts. First, student performance improved dramatically. The study tracked pre- and post-test assessment scores over eight semesters. After the redesign, student learning gains—measured by the delta between pre- and post-tests—increased from around fifteen to twenty percent up to over thirty-four percent in subsequent semesters. Correct responses on individual key questions jumped to over eighty percent.
Host: That is a substantial improvement in student outcomes. What about the instructors themselves?
Expert: That's where the Social Cognitive Theory lens provides great insight. Normally, research suggests that personal mastery—actually doing the job yourself—is the biggest driver of confidence. But for these experienced instructors, two other sources of self-efficacy became dominant: vicarious learning and peer verbal persuasion.
Host: Meaning watching their colleagues present and getting direct feedback from peers?
Expert: Precisely. Seeing how a colleague explained a complex topic gave others the confidence and tools to teach that same material effectively in their own sections. Constructive feedback and validation from peers provided a massive boost to their teaching efficacy. Plus, it established incredible course consistency—any instructor could step in for another without losing a beat.
Host: This has huge implications beyond higher education. How does this apply to the corporate world and business leadership?
Expert: It's directly applicable to organizational knowledge management and upskilling. Traditional enterprise training relies on top-down instructions or individual training modules, which rarely build true collective capability. By establishing Communities of Practice, organizations can break down department silos and democratize knowledge.
Host: So instead of sending employees to a generic seminar, leaders can build internal peer-to-peer networks.
Expert: Exactly. It creates a safe environment for cross-training, validates experienced team members, and ensures that critical organizational knowledge is standardized and shared rather than locked inside one expert's head.
Host: That is a powerful takeaway for any business looking to improve internal training and team collaboration. To wrap things up, this study demonstrates that when experts collaborate, teach each other, and refine content as a community, both learning outcomes and professional confidence soar. Alex, thank you so much for breaking down the research for us today.
Expert: My pleasure, Anna.
Host: And thank you to our listeners for tuning in to A.I.S. Insights — powered by Living Knowledge. Join us next time for more insights at the intersection of technology, education, and business strategy.