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Article
Publication date: 1 September 2005

Wanjira Kinuthia

This study was conducted to examine how proficiencies, motivation, and training impact the success of faculty development for web‐based instruction (WBI) at historically Black…

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Abstract

Purpose

This study was conducted to examine how proficiencies, motivation, and training impact the success of faculty development for web‐based instruction (WBI) at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in the USA.

Design/methodology/approach

Data in this mixed‐design exploratory study came from responses to an online questionnaire and follow‐up interviews. Seven four‐year public HBCUs that offered online curricula and provided faculty development opportunities in various forms such as workshops and seminars were examined.

Findings

The results of the study indicated that faculty were proficient in basic technologies, but less proficient in more demanding technologies; provision of incentives such as time off to attend training was motivating for WBI participation; and faculty preferred individualized training and workshops.

Research limitations/implications

Successful faculty development is as a complex process that involves several integrated components which should be viewed as an intentional, ongoing, and systemic process. Nonetheless, it plays an important role, particularly if programs are available to help faculty link effective delivery in their own teaching and research areas.

Practical implications

Meaningful faculty development should be extendable to all instruction, whether in‐class, web‐based, or web‐enhanced. Faculty development opportunities extending beyond the basic uses of technology and seeking connections between curriculum, pedagogy, technology, and administration to technology success is paramount.

Originality/value

Feedback from this study can serve as a resource for decision‐making about WBI projects. The results of the study should provide data and information that supports the technological mission of institutions.

Details

Campus-Wide Information Systems, vol. 22 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1065-0741

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 21 November 2023

Anchal Luthra, Shivani Dixit and Vikas Arya

The faculties are crucial to education. They should have enough training facilities and be encouraged to actively contribute to high-quality education and successful learning…

Abstract

Purpose

The faculties are crucial to education. They should have enough training facilities and be encouraged to actively contribute to high-quality education and successful learning. Faculty engagement and development activities should be explored and included in learning organizations and employee engagement in India. This paper aims to describe higher education as a learning organization. The research will also assess how faculty development programs affect faculty engagement behaviors in these institutions and if professional development mediates this effect, which has not been previously examined.

Design/methodology/approach

This study was conducted with quantitative data collected from 267 faculties through reliable and validated adapted questionnaires. Semistructured interviews were conducted with heads and professor-level faculties to gain insights into faculty development and engagement. Partial least squares structural equation modeling technique (PLS-SEM 3.3.6 version) was used to test the conceptually drafted model.

Findings

Faculty professional development programs shown to improve higher education faculty engagement and professional progress. The studies also showed that higher education institutions must prioritize faculty development to become learning organizations. Professional development reduced the direct effects of faculty development program (FDP) on faculty engagement. This suggests that professional growth mediates the research.

Practical implications

This research emphasizes and professional development to boost teacher involvement in B-Schools. Management must design faculty development programs to construct professional development and learning organizations, according to the results. Developing and writing rules that encourage faculty engagement in such internal and external programs would also enhance their academic and administrative abilities and assist higher education institutions become learning organizations.

Originality/value

The study is one of the few to examine the impact of faculty development programs and professional development on faculty engagement in higher education institutions, particularly B-Schools, and its competitive mediating role.

Details

The Learning Organization, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0969-6474

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 7 January 2019

Davoud Masoumi, Javad Hatami and Javad Pourkaremi

The purpose of this paper is to focus on mapping the ways in which HE institutions enhance faculty members’ professional development. More precisely, by introducing a case from…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to focus on mapping the ways in which HE institutions enhance faculty members’ professional development. More precisely, by introducing a case from one of the well-established universities in Iran, the authors aim to examine the focus of faculty development (FD) activities and how FD is conducted, with a view to shedding light on the challenges of and disparities between faculty roles and areas of FD in higher education (HE) in Iran as a developing country.

Design/methodology/approach

In order to explore and map the characteristics of FD and analyse the trends that Iranian HE institutions are experiencing in this area, a sequential explanatory multiple sources design, consisting of two distinct phases, was implemented (Creswell, 2012). In this design, the documents regarding the faculty professional development (decisions, agreements, The Job Structure Memorandum, and relevant documents and policies at the Iranian Ministry of Science, Research and Technology and the studied HE institution) were analysed first. Next, field records were collected by means of a series semi-structured interviews with faculty members in the given HE setting.

Findings

The analysis of the collected data brought to the surface three themes, namely, FD: policies and procedures, faculties professional development in practice, and associated challenges and future prospects. These initial findings helped to understand if and how FD activities occur as well as map the challenges and complexities in faculties’ CPD in Iranian HE. Further, it discusses possible solutions to develop relevant and practical professional development.

Research limitations/implications

This case study is partly limited to a group of faculty members’ experiences and reflections on FD in one Iranian HE institution. Conducting additional surveys and observations with a large sample of the faculties and students may verify and consolidate the findings of the study and contribute to further insights on the ways faculties’ professional development can be transformed.

Practical implications

Taking into account the findings of the study, a dynamic framework for continued professional development of faculties in Iran is developed.

Originality/value

The findings of the study present valuable insights into the FD procedures, challenges and paradoxes that seem to shape FD in Iranian HE institutions. Moreover, the findings indicated much-needed structural modifications to simplify and harmonise the policies and procedures to harness profession development. To conclude, the initiatives and action plans that may contribute to FD and reshape the Iranian HE landscape is discussed. The applications and implications are also relevant for similar HE systems in developing countries.

Details

International Journal of Educational Management, vol. 33 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0951-354X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 6 February 2024

Payal Sharma

This study primarily aims at assessing Faculty Competences Development Components (FCDCs) that help in the development of educational leaders. The study further formulates a model…

Abstract

Purpose

This study primarily aims at assessing Faculty Competences Development Components (FCDCs) that help in the development of educational leaders. The study further formulates a model using seven latent constructs that explain the development of the mechanism of development of educational leaders and extend the benefits of their development to different stakeholders including faculty, educational institutions and society at large.

Design/methodology/approach

A systematic review of the literature was conducted to identify various FCDCs to construct a conceptual framework. Later, this conceptual framework was tested through empirical research using the structural equation modeling (SEM) technique carried out with respect to technical institutions of Punjab (India).

Findings

The study identified that organizational roles are of the highest importance for the competences development of educational leaders followed by teachers’ attributes and teachers’ roles. The study’s findings also revealed that FCDCs significantly impact beneficiaries by developing competent educational leaders as mediators between the FCDCs and beneficiaries link. The biggest beneficiaries of development are faculty members of these institutes in terms of their performance enhancements.

Originality/value

The study is unique in terms of developing a model for the competences development of educational leaders and helpful in understanding various benefits of the educational leaders to various educational stakeholders.

Details

International Journal of Educational Management, vol. 38 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0951-354X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 January 1978

Gordon Wills

BUSINESS SCHOOL GRAFFITI is a highly personal and revealing account of the first ten years (1965–1975) at Britain’s University Business Schools. The progress achieved is…

Abstract

BUSINESS SCHOOL GRAFFITI is a highly personal and revealing account of the first ten years (1965–1975) at Britain’s University Business Schools. The progress achieved is documented in a whimsical fashion that makes it highly readable. Gordon Wills has been on the inside throughout the decade and has played a leading role in two of the major Schools. Rather than presuming to present anything as pompous as a complete history of what has happened, he recalls his reactions to problems, issues and events as they confronted him and his colleagues. Lord Franks lit a fuse which set a score of Universities and even more Polytechnics alight. There was to be a bold attempt to produce the management talent that the pundits of the mid‐sixties so clearly felt was needed. Buildings, books, teachers who could teach it all, and students to listen and learn were all required for the boom to happen. The decade saw great progress, but also a rapid decline in the relevancy ethic. It saw a rapid withering of interest by many businessmen more accustomed to and certainly desirous of quick results. University Vice Chancellors, theologians and engineers all had to learn to live with the new and often wealthier if less scholarly faculty members who arrived on campus. The Research Councils had to decide how much cake to allow the Business Schools to eat. Most importantly, the author describes the process of search he went through as an individual in evolving a definition of his own subject and how it can best be forwarded in a University environment. It was a process that carried him from Technical College student in Slough to a position as one of the authorities on his subject today.

Details

European Journal of Marketing, vol. 12 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0309-0566

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 23 September 2020

Hope J. Hartman

A holistic approach has been applied to teaching the whole student, yet rarely emphasized in faculty development in higher education. Similarly, learner-centered instruction has…

Abstract

A holistic approach has been applied to teaching the whole student, yet rarely emphasized in faculty development in higher education. Similarly, learner-centered instruction has become more prevalent in higher education as a way of teaching students, but less so as a concept for faculty pedagogy. This chapter examines the psychological underpinnings of holistic, learner-centered instruction and describes strategies and materials for applying these principles to faculty development so that higher education environments are humanized for culturally diverse faculty and students. Conceptual frameworks underlying the approaches emphasize humanistic theories and the needs of adult learners. Topics addressed include: motivation, cooperative learning, culturally responsive teaching, active learning, metacognition, teaching for transfer, nonverbal communication and instructional technology. Faculty development efforts described include both interdisciplinary activities and a special project with the School of Engineering. While modeling holistic, learner-centered teaching in faculty development, university instructors are engaged in their own learning of effective pedagogy and their experiences and knowledge can be used subsequently to enhance student success in their courses.

A holistic, learner-centered approach enables higher education faculty to create stimulating, nurturing, safe and respectful classroom environments which promote student engagement, content mastery, cognitive skill development, intrinsic motivation and attitudes which foster thinking and learning. Consequently, this chapter provides faculty, administrators and policymakers with tools that can be used to help students, especially at graduate and post-graduate levels, learn academic material and become enlightened global citizens with enhanced thinking abilities and affect to meet current and future personal, professional and societal needs.

Details

Developing and Supporting Multiculturalism and Leadership Development: International Perspectives on Humanizing Higher Education
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-83909-460-6

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 1 January 2006

Dana W.R. Boden

The purpose of this study was to determine not-yet-tenured university library faculty members’ views of 27 methods their department chair may use to support and enhance the faculty

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine not-yet-tenured university library faculty members’ views of 27 methods their department chair may use to support and enhance the faculty member's professional development. The methods were derived from earlier qualitative research on department chairs in higher education. While academic teaching department chair roles have been the subject of the research literature for many years, little research has addressed library faculty perceptions of the department chair's role. The survey instrument used consisted of two parts: (1) a demographics section, consisting of five questions; and (2) a researcher-developed survey of faculty perceptions of the department chairs’ role in faculty development. Survey participants were asked to rate the importance of methods chairs may use in enhancing the professional activities of faculty. According to the not-yet-tenured library faculty members responding to this study, a chair engaging in the most important practices to enhance their faculty's professional development would be one who utilizes good communication, while acting as an administrative advocate.

Details

Advances in Library Administration and Organization
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-0-7623-1410-2

Article
Publication date: 23 November 2010

Diana Quinn

The purpose of this paper is to examine current approaches to teaching used in academic development services and consider the diversity of their learners (academic faculty)…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine current approaches to teaching used in academic development services and consider the diversity of their learners (academic faculty). Faculty engagement with teaching issues and innovations remains a concern for the higher education sector. The academic population contains large numbers of “hard to get at” people, struggling with workload and access issues.

Design/methodology/approach

An additional online resource for academic development, called In a nutshell, has been developed and trialed for three years in a variety of contexts. These resources incorporate voices into concise online presentations with links to further resources. Academic viewers can, in private, participate and make informed decisions about whether they need to learn more about a topic, or not.

Findings

A measurable improvement in faculty engagement with teaching issues and innovations has been detected that can be directly and indirectly attributed to this change in academic development approach. Usage data and user feedback supports the hypothesis that In a nutshells have had an impact on adult learners. Requests by faculty to collaborate on the production of new In a nutshells also indicate engagement. Positive changes in teaching and learning performance indicators are supportive.

Research limitations/implications

The study provides evidence to support the use of concise, flexible and asynchronous online approaches as components of a structured academic development program that provides mandated and non‐mandated learning opportunities for university faculty. The addition of this approach can increase the reach of academic development to include those who can be traditionally hard to reach such as sessional faculty, workplace supervisors and time‐poor, full‐time academics. The concept has recently been extended to create concise learning support that engages and empowers new students to develop new skills.

Practical implications

A streaming server and software is required. Multiple versions of the material are created to ensure accessibility. The time commitment required to invest in initial production of high‐quality product is high; however, this is counter‐balanced by the re‐usability and outreach of the approach.

Originality/value

Partial alignment of learning design and user feedback to an inclusive adult motivation framework indicates that although In a nutshells do meet most requirements of the framework, complementary activities that build the competence of faculty are needed to be linked to In a nutshells to ensure that all targeted adults are motivated to learn.

Details

Interactive Technology and Smart Education, vol. 7 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1741-5659

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 25 October 2021

Kelly Mack

The shift in undergraduate student demographic composition, particularly for the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines, has been coupled with an…

Abstract

The shift in undergraduate student demographic composition, particularly for the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines, has been coupled with an ever increasing need for faculty to be more culturally aware and responsive. Traditionally, higher education has relied on the professional development programs of disciplinary societies and associations to meet such needs. However, designing professional development for STEM faculty in ways that awaken awarenesses about racial differences and their impact on academic success requires more than the conventional faculty development offerings, which, more often than not, only give cursory nods to difference or limit programming to “cookbook” protocols of do's and don'ts. Indeed, today's STEM faculty professional development must be met with more sophisticated paradigms that foreground personal reflection and development. Safe brave spaces represent an ideal mechanism for supporting not only personal reflection but also the grappling with and letting go of the destructive values and beliefs that negatively impact undergraduate STEM student success. The chapter offers the reader a view into our perspective as conveners of safe brave professional development spaces. In it, we also share the words of a safe brave space occupier, demonstrating how the power of reflection can influence the value of safe brave spaces. As a result, the reader is left with a different lens through which STEM faculty professional development programs can and should be considered – whether it is who is in them, who is missing from them, or what is required to facilitate more productive interactions within them. Admittedly, there is more work yet to be done. Understanding that this work requires safety and bravery is a necessary next step.

Details

Re-conceptualizing Safe Spaces
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-83982-250-6

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 13 May 2019

Laura M. Gonzalez, Kelly L. Wester and L. DiAnne Borders

Depending on their institutional context, for new faculty members to successfully manage their transition from doctoral studies to early career, they must show potential as…

Abstract

Purpose

Depending on their institutional context, for new faculty members to successfully manage their transition from doctoral studies to early career, they must show potential as researchers. The purpose of this study was to learn about supports and barriers to researcher development in new faculty members.

Design/methodology/approach

The investigators solicited open-ended responses from early career faculty members (N = 49) in an online survey. Content analysis was used to provide an initial categorization of supports and barriers identified by the participants.

Findings

Ten barrier categories (e.g. lack of resources, previous training, lack of mentoring, workload) and eight support categories (e.g. effective research collaborations, supportive university environment, funding) were identified.

Research limitations/implications

Findings were framed with a social cognitive conceptual model, which parallels previous studies in doctoral research training environments and research productivity and builds on our knowledge of early career faculty development. The study was limited in terms of number of participants and online response format.

Practical implications

Practical implications to minimize barriers and enhance supports for new faculty researcher development were identified (also drawing from the conceptual model, SCCT).

Originality/value

Thus, the study has value for university policymakers, administrators, faculty peers, research mentors and assistant professors or doctoral students seeking to develop as researchers.

Details

Studies in Graduate and Postdoctoral Education, vol. 10 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2398-4686

Keywords

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