Beyond the Individual Instructor: Systemic Constraints in the Implementation of Research-Informed Practices

Anecdotal evidence suggests that findings of educational research and resulting curricula are, at best, only marginally incorporated into introductory physics courses. Based on interviews with four non‐PER physics faculty we investigated why incorporation of research‐based curricula is uncommon. Elsewhere, we report that these instructors have PER‐compatible beliefs about teaching and learning, but largely traditional instructional practices. In this paper we explore the significant role that systemic influences play in this apparent discrepancy and present a theoretical model to describe the interplay between individual beliefs and systemic influences.