Statisticians Training STEM Educators in Statistics Methods and Pedagogy: A Case Study of Instructor Training in Bayesian Methods

TL;DR

This paper presents a case study of a statisticians-led train-the-trainer program in Bayesian methods, emphasizing the importance of instructor training for effective statistical education in STEM fields.

Contribution

It details the design, implementation, and lessons learned from a statisticians-led Bayesian instructor training program, highlighting its structure and challenges.

Findings

The program effectively improved instructor knowledge in Bayesian methods.

Challenges included resource allocation and participant engagement.

Recommendations for future TTT programs are provided.

Abstract

Educating the next generation of scientists in statistical methodology is an important task. Educating their instructors in statistical content knowledge and pedagogical knowledge is as important and provides an indirect impact of students' learning. Statisticians are in a place to lead train-the-trainer (TTT) programs in different methods. We present our instructor training program in Bayesian methods as an effective case study of a TTT model. In addition to describing the details of the structure of our training program, we share our experience in designing and implementing our program including the challenges we face, the opportunities created, and our recommendations for TTT programs led by statisticians.