STEM Education Reform

Much of my research has examined how faculty in physics and other STEM fields learn about, adopt, and sustain research-based instructional strategies and how departments can support their faculty through structural and cultural change. Highlights of my work in this area include:

  • A survey of physics instructors along with a follow up survey a decade later of physicists, chemists and mathematicians.
  • Interviews with physics instructors about their teaching.
  • Implementation of an online faculty learning community to support new faculty following their participation in the Physics and Astronomy Faculty Teaching Institute.

Equity

It is well established that some people have more opportunity to thrive because of attributes they have no control over (gender and gender identity, race, socioeconomic class at birth, native language, disability, spiritual orientation, who they love, who their parents were, age etc.) It is essential that we, as a society, grow into a kinder, more compassionate, fair culture. I do what I can to bring a voice to the ways some people are unfairly denied opportunity and to learning how to move beyond this unfairness.

  • Interview study with 27 white male physics faculty and graduate students.
  • A decade long project (The Roots of STEM) interviewing over 500 students (including majors, interested non majors, leavers and community college transfers) to understand their higher education STEM experiences.

Metacognition

Metacognition is “thinking about thinking”. It is about how we come to know and understand. Many students arrive at college without the knowlege and mindset to learn even though they are smart and hardworking. By learning about learning and reflective practice, all students can succeed. I am interested in developing and documenting how instructors can support their students success by empowering them as learners.

  • This is a new area for me. I am developing a course (to be offered Spring 2026) and initiating research. Check back soon!

Dancy, M. (2025). Majority group physics instructors struggle to notice, name, and disrupt racist and sexist student interactions. Physical Review Physics Education Research, 21(1), 010142.

Mickelson, R. A., Allen, D., Bottia, M., Stearns, E., Dancy, M., & Moller, S. (2025). Pre-collegiate factors contributing to the choice of a chemistry major: the role of science capital. Chemistry Education Research and Practice.

Stearns, E., Mickelson, R., Bottia, M., Allen, D., Dancy, M., & Moller, S. (2024). How Community College Educations Generate Both Science Capital and Science-Specific Transfer Capital Among Low-Income White Women Majoring in STEM. Community College Journal of Research and Practice, 1-21.

Dancy, M., Henderson, C., Apkarian, N., Johnson, E., Stains, M., Raker, J. R., & Lau, A. (2024). Physics instructors’ knowledge and use of active learning has increased over the last decade but most still lecture too much. Physical Review Physics Education Research, 20(1), 010119.

Vishnubhotla, M., Chowdhury, A., Apkarian, N., Johnson, E., Dancy, M., Henderson, C., … & Stains, M. (2024). “I use IBL in this course” may say more about an instructor’s beliefs than about their teaching. International Journal of Research in Undergraduate Mathematics Education, 10(1), 87-106.

Wang, Y., Apkarian, N., Dancy, M. H., Henderson, C., Johnson, E., Raker, J. R., & Stains, M. (2024). A National Snapshot of Introductory Chemistry Instructors and Their Instructional Practices. Journal of Chemical Education, 101(4), 1457-1468.

Lau, A. C., Henderson, C., Stains, M., Dancy, M., Merino, C., Apkarian, N., … & Johnson, E. (2024). Characteristics of departments with high-use of active learning in introductory STEM courses: implications for departmental transformation. International Journal of STEM Education, 11(1), 10.

Dancy, M., & Hodari, A. K. (2023). How well-intentioned white male physicists maintain ignorance of inequity and justify inaction. International Journal of STEM Education, 10(1), 1-29.

Featured in APS Physics Magazine (https://physics.aps.org/articles/v16/33)

Couch, B. A., Prevost, L. B., Stains, M., Whitt, B., Marcy, A. E., Apkarian, N., … & Ziker, J. P. (2023, April). Examining whether and how instructional coordination occurs within introductory undergraduate STEM courses. In Frontiers in Education (Vol. 8, p. 1156781). Frontiers.

Yik, B. J., Raker, J. R., Apkarian, N., Stains, M., Henderson, C., Dancy, M. H., & Johnson, E. (2022, November). Association of malleable factors with adoption of research-based instructional strategies in introductory chemistry, mathematics, and physics. In Frontiers in Education (Vol. 7, p. 1016415). Frontiers Media SA.

Vishnubhotla, M., Chowdhury, A., Apkarian, N., Johnson, E., Dancy, M., Henderson, C., … & Stains, M. (2022). “I use IBL in this course” may say more about an instructor’s beliefs than about their teaching. International Journal of Research in Undergraduate Mathematics Education, 1-20.

Allen, D., Dancy, M., Stearns, E. et al. (2022). Racism, sexism and disconnection: contrasting experiences of Black women in STEM before and after transfer from community college. International Journal of STEM Education, 9, 20. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40594-022-00334-2

Yik, B. J., Raker, J. R., Apkarian, N., Stains, M., Henderson, C., Dancy, M. H., & Johnson, E. (2022). Evaluating the impact of malleable factors on percent time lecturing in gateway chemistry, mathematics, and physics courses. International Journal of STEM Education, 9(1), 1-23.

Price, E., Lau, A. C., Goldberg, F., Turpen, C., Smith, P. S., Dancy, M., & Robinson, S. (2021). Analyzing a faculty online learning community as a mechanism for supporting faculty implementation of a guided-inquiry curriculum. International Journal of STEM Education, 8(1), 1-26.

Apkarian, N., Henderson, C., Stains, M., Raker, J., Johnson, E., & Dancy, M. (2021). What really impacts the use of active learning in undergraduate STEM education? Results from a national survey of chemistry, mathematics, and physics instructors. PLoS One, 16(2), e0247544.

Dancy, M., Rainey, K., Stearns, E., Mickelson, R., & Moller, S. (2020). Undergraduates’ awareness of White and male privilege in STEM. International Journal of STEM Education, 7(1), 1-17.

Stearns, E., Bottia, M. C., Giersch, J., Mickelson, R. A., Moller, S., Jha, N., & Dancy, M. (2020). Do Relative Advantages in STEM Grades Explain the Gender Gap in Selection of a STEM Major in College? A Multimethod Answer. American Educational Research Journal, 57(1), 218-257.

Christian, W., Belloni, M., Sokolowska, D., Cox, A., & Dancy, M. (2020). Teaching with Physlets. Physics Education, 55(4), 045008.

Dancy, M., Lau, A. C., Rundquist, A., & Henderson, C. (2019). Faculty online learning communities: A model for sustained teaching transformation. Physical Review Physics Education Research, 15(2), 020147.

Foote, K., Henderson, C., Knaub, A., Dancy, M., & Beichner, R. (2019). Try, Try Again: The Power of Timing and Perseverance in Higher Education Reform. Change: The Magazine of Higher Learning, 51(1), 50-57.

Rainey, K., Dancy, M., Mickelson, R., Stearns, E., & Moller, S. (2019). A Descriptive Study of Race and Gender Differences in How Instructional Style and Perceived Professor Care Influence Decisions to Major in STEM. International Journal of STEM Education. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40594-019-0159-2

Henderson, C., Khan, R. & Dancy, M. (2018). Will my student evaluations decrease if I adopt an active learning instructional strategy? Physical Review Physics Education Research, 86.

Featured in Science http://science.sciencemag.org/content/363/6425/361.5

Lee, L., Connolly, M., Dancy, M., Henderson, & C. Christensen, W. (2018). Comparison of student evaluations of instruction vs. students’ conceptual learning gains. American Journal of Physics, 86, 531.

Rainey, K., Dancy, M., Mickelson, R., Stearns, E. & Moller, S. (2018). Race and gender differences in how sense of belonging influences decisions to major in STEM. International Journal of STEM Education, 5 (10). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40594-018-0115-6

Reinholz, D. L., Corbo, J. C., Dancy, M. H., & Finkelstein, N. (2017). Departmental action teams: Supporting faculty learning through departmental change. Learning Communities Journal, 9(1).

Dancy, M., Henderson, C., & Turpen, C. (2016). How faculty learn about and implement research-based instructional strategies: The case of Peer Instruction. Physical Review Physics Education Research, 12(1), 010110. http://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevPhysEducRes.12.010110

Turpen, C., Dancy, M., & Henderson, C. (2016). Perceived affordances and constraints regarding instructors’ use of Peer Instruction: Implications for promoting instructional change. Physical Review Physics Education Research, 12(1), 010116. http://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevPhysEducRes.12.010116

Corbo, J. C., Reinholz, D. L., Dancy, M. H., Deetz, S., & Finkelstein, N. (2016). Framework for transforming departmental culture to support educational innovation. Physical Review Physics Education Research, 12, 010113.

Foote, K., Knaub, A., Henderson, C., Dancy, M., & Beichner, R. J. (2016). Enabling and challenging factors in institutional reform: The case of SCALE-UP. Physical Review Physics Education Research, 12(1), 010103. http://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevPhysEducRes.12.010103

Henderson, C., Turpen, C., Dancy, M., & Chapman, T. (2014). Assessment of teaching effectiveness: Lack of alignment between instructors, institutions, and research recommendations. Physical Review Special Topics – Physics Education Research, 10(1).

Foote, K. T., Neumeyer, X., Henderson, C., Dancy, M. H., & Beichner, R. J. (2014). Diffusion of research-based instructional strategies: The case of SCALE-UP. International Journal of STEM Education, 1(1).

Henderson, C., Dancy, M., & Niewiadomska-Bugaj, M. (2012). The Use of Research-Based Instructional Strategies in Introductory Physics: Where do Faculty Leave the Innovation-Decision Process? Physical Review Special Topics – Physics Education Research, 8(2), 020104.

Dancy, M. & Henderson, C. (2010). Pedagogical Practices and Instructional Change of Physics Faculty. American Journal of Physics, 78(10), 1056-1063.

Henderson, C. & Dancy, M. (2009). The Impact of Physics Education Research on the Teaching of Introductory Quantitative Physics in the United States. Physical Review Special Topics: Physics Education Research, 5(2), 020107.

Henderson, C. & Dancy, M. (2008). Physics Faculty and Educational Researchers: Divergent Expectations as Barriers to the Diffusion of Innovations. American Journal of Physics, 76(1), 79-91.

Henderson, C. & Dancy, M. (2007). Barriers to the use of research-based instructional strategies: The dual role of individual and situational characteristics. Physical Review Special Topics – Physics Education Research, 3, 020102.

Dancy, M. & Henderson, C. (2007). A Framework for Articulating Instructional Practices and Beliefs. Physical Review Special Topics – Physics Education Research, 3(1), 010103.

Beichner, R. J., Saul, J. M., Abbott, D. S., Morse, J. J., Deardorff, D. L., Allain, R. J., Bonham, S. W., Dancy, M. H. and Risley, J. S. (2007). The Student-Centered Activities for Large Enrollment Undergraduate Programs (SCALE-UP) project. In E. F. Redish & P. J. Cooney (Eds.), PER-Based Reform in University Physics. American Association of Physics Teachers, College Park, MD.

Saul, J., Beichner, R., Abbott, D., Morse, J., Deardorff, D., Allain, R., Bonham, S., Dancy, M., & Risley, J. (submitted). Incorporating Active Learning in Large Introductory Physics Classes: The SCALE-UP Project. Submitted to Physical Review Special Topics – Physics Education Research.

Dancy, M. & Beichner, R. (2006). Impact of Animation on Assessment of Conceptual Understanding in Physics. Physical Review Special Topics – Physics Education Research, 2(1), 010104.

Belloni, M., Christian, W., & Dancy, M. (2004). Teaching Special Relativity Using Physlets®. The Physics Teacher, 42(5), 284-290.

Cox, A. J., Belloni, M., Dancy, M., & Christian, W. (2003). Teaching Thermodynamics with Physlets® in Introductory Physics. Physics Education, 38(5), 433-440.

Dancy, M., Christian, W. & Belloni, M. (2002). Teaching with Physlets: Examples from Optics. The Physics Teacher, 40(9), 494-499.

Dancy, M. & Beichner, R. (2002). But Are They Learning? Getting Started in Classroom Evaluation. Cell Biology Education, 1(3), 87-94.

Lau, A., Dancy, M., Henderson, C., & Rundquist, A. (2018). Illustrating a Faculty Community’s Productive Teaching Talk and the Facilitation Moves That Supported It. Proceedings of the Physics Education Research Conference, Summer 2018.

Rainey, K., Dancy, M., Mickelson, R., Stearns, E., and Moller, S. (2017). STEM Majors’ Perceptions of Racism and Sexism in STEM. Proceedings of the Physics Education Research Conference, Summer 2017.

Lau, A., Dancy, M., Corbo, J., Henderson, C. and Rundquist, A. (2017). The importance of community formation in faculty online learning communities. Proceedings of the Physics Education Research Conference, Summer 2017.

Dancy, M., Rainey, K., Mickelson, R., Stearns, E. & Moller, S. (2016). Influences of teaching style and perceived care of instructor on retention of underrepresented groups in STEM. Proceedings of the Physics Education Research Conference, Summer 2016.

Corbo, J. C., Rundquist, A., Henderson, C., & Dancy, M. H. (2016). Using Asynchronous Communication to Support Virtual Faculty Learning Communities. Proceedings of the Physics Education Research Conference, Summer 2016.

Rundquist, A., Corbo, J., Martinuk, S., Chasteen, S., Henderson, C., & Dancy, M. (2015). Faculty Online Learning Communities to Support Physics Teaching. Proceedings of the Physics Education Research Conference, Summer 2015.

Corbo, J. C., Reinholz, D. L., Dancy, M. H., & Finkelstein, N. (2015). Departmental Action Teams: Empowering Faculty to Make Sustainable Change. Proceedings of the Physics Education Research Conference, Summer 2015.

Neumeyer, X., Foote, K. T., Beichner, R., Dancy, M. H., & Henderson, C. (2014). Examining the Diffusion of Research-Based Instructional Strategies Using Social Network Analysis: A Case Study of SCALE-UP. Proceedings of the ASEE Annual Conference, 2014.

Dancy, M. H., Henderson, C., & Smith, J. H. (2014). Understanding Educational Transformation: Findings from a Survey of Past Participants of the Physics and Astronomy New Faculty Workshop. In P. V. Engelhardt, A. D. Churukian, & D. L. Jones (Eds.), Proceedings of the Physics Education Research Conference (pp. 113–116). Portland, OR.

Turpen, C., Henderson, C., & Dancy, M. (2011). Faculty Perspectives about Instructor and Institutional Assessments of Teaching Effectiveness. Proceedings of the Physics Education Research Conference, 2011.

Dancy, M., & Henderson, C. (2011). Experiences of New Faculty Implementing Research-Based Instructional Strategies. Proceedings of the Physics Education Research Conference, 2011.

Lee, M., Dancy, M., Henderson, C., & Brewe, E. (2011). Success and Constraints in the Enactment of a Reform. Proceedings of the Physics Education Research Conference, 2011.

Henderson, C., Dancy, M., & Niewiadomska-Bugaj, M. (2010). Variables that Correlate with Faculty Use of Research-Based Instructional Strategies. Proceedings of the Physics Education Research Conference, Portland, OR, 2010.

Dancy, M., Turpen, C., & Henderson, C. (2010). Why Do Faculty Try Research-Based Instructional Strategies? Proceedings of the Physics Education Research Conference, Portland, OR, 2010.

Turpen, C., Dancy, M., & Henderson, C. (2010). Faculty Perspectives on Using Peer Instruction: A National Study. Proceedings of the Physics Education Research Conference, Portland, OR, 2010.

Dancy, M. & Henderson, C. (2009). Pedagogical Practices of Physics Faculty. Proceedings of the Physics Education Research Conference, 2009.

Henderson, C. & Dancy, M. (2009). The Impact of Physics Education Research on the Teaching of Introductory Quantitative Physics. Proceedings of the Physics Education Research Conference, 2009.

Dancy, M., Brewe, E. & Henderson, C. (2008). Modeling Success: Building Community for Reform. Proceedings of the Physics Education Research Conference, 2007.

Walker, K. & Dancy, M. (2006). Investigation and Evaluation of a Physics Tutorial Center. Proceedings of the Physics Education Research Conference, 2006.

Dancy, M. & Henderson, C. (2006). New Directions for Physics Education Research: A Broad Perspective Analysis. Proceedings of the Physics Education Research Conference, 2005.

Henderson, C. & Dancy, M. (2006). Physics Faculty and Educational Researchers: Divergent Expectations as Barriers to the Diffusion of Innovations. Proceedings of the Physics Education Research Conference, 2005.

Henderson, C. & Dancy, M. (2005). Teaching, Learning and Physics Education Research: Views of Mainstream Physics Professors. Proceedings of the Physics Education Research Conference, 2004.

Dancy, M. & Henderson, C. (2005). Beyond the Individual Instructor: Systemic Constraints in the Implementation of Research-Informed Practices. Proceedings of the Physics Education Research Conference, 2004.

Dancy, M. (2004). The Myth of Gender Neutrality. Proceedings of the Physics Education Research Conference, 2003.

McCaskey, T., Dancy, M., & Elby, A. (2004). Effects on Assessment Caused by Splits Between Belief and Understanding. Proceedings of the Physics Education Research Conference, 2003.

Christian, W., Belloni, M., Dancy, M., & Cox, A. (2003). Authoring and Assessing Physlet®-based Interactive Curricular Material. EUROCON 2003 Proceedings, Ljubljana, Slovenia.

Christian, W., Belloni, M., & Dancy, M. (2001). Physlets: Java tools for a web-based physics curriculum. In Alexandrov, V. N., Dongarra, J. J., Juliano, B. A., Renner, R. S., & Tan, C. J. K. (Eds.), Proceedings of the International Conference in Computational Science (pp. 1061-1073). Berlin: Springer.

Dancy, M. (2025). Fairness is Still Missing in Physics Departments. Physics, 18, 87.

Dancy, M., Lau, A., Corbo, J., Henderson C., and Rundquist, A. (2017). Participants’ perceptions of the Faculty Online Learning Community (FOLC) experience. Juried paper, Proceedings of the Physics Education Research Conference, Summer 2017.

Mickelson, R. A., Parker, A., Stearns, E., Moller, S., & Dancy, M. (2016). Family Matters: Familial Support and African American Female STEM Success. In D. Ruiz-Smith & S. Lawson Clark (Eds.), Contemporary African American Families: Achievements, Challenges, and Empowerment Strategies in the 21st Century. New York: Routledge-Taylor & Francis.

Dancy, M. (2012). Faculty Interviews as a Mechanism to Study STEM Education. White Paper commissioned for the AAAS Measurement Workshop, December 17-19, Washington, DC.

Henderson, C., & Dancy, M. (2011). Increasing the Impact and Diffusion of STEM Education Innovations. White Paper commissioned for the Characterizing the Impact and Diffusion of Engineering Education Innovations Forum, New Orleans, LA, Feb 7-8, 2011.

Henderson, C., & Dancy, M. (2009). Physics Faculty and Educational Researchers: Partners in Reform. APS Forum on Education Newsletter, Spring 2009.

Henderson, C., & Dancy, M. (2009). Physics Faculty and Educational Researchers: Divergent Expectations as Barriers to the Diffusion of Innovations. Annals of Research on Engineering Education, 4(2).

Dancy, M. & Henderson, C. (2008). Barriers and Promises in STEM Reform. Paper commissioned for the Workshop on Linking Evidence and Promising Practices in STEM Undergraduate Education, The National Academies Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education.

Contributing author of Christian, W. & Belloni, M. (2003). Physlet Physics: Interactive Illustrations, Explorations, and Problems for Introductory Physics. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Cox, A. & Dancy, M. (2003). Instructor’s Guide for Physlet Physics. Located at http://webphysics.davidson.edu/physlet_resources/instructor_manual/

Christian, W., Belloni, M., & Dancy, M. (2001, Fall). Physlets: Web-based Java applets for physics education. Newsletter of the Forum on Education, American Physical Society.

Titus, A. & Dancy, M. (2000). Physics Education Research. In W. Christian & M. Belloni, Physlets (pp. xx–xx). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Dancy, M. (2000). Investigating Animations for Assessment Using an Animated Version of the Force Concept Inventory. Doctoral Dissertation, directed by Robert Beichner. Available by request.