understanding tenured/tenure-track faculty participation in residential learning communities at...
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Understanding Tenured/Tenure-Track Faculty Participation in Residential
Learning Communities at Research-Extensive Institutions
Kirsten Kennedy, Ph.D.
University of Missouri - Columbia
Purpose
To understand tenured/tenure-track faculty motivation to participate in residential learning communities at research-extensive institutions.
Rationale
Current research on faculty participation in learning communities does not differentiate by institutional type or by tenured/tenure-track (TTT) status of faculty (LaPoint, 1995; Golde & Pribbenow, 2000; Einarson & Clarkberg, 2004)
The motivation of faculty participation needed to be explored to better understand faculty’s motivation, given a (TTT) reward structure that marginalizes this participation.
Practioners’ ability to recruit faculty
Learning Communities
“small subgroups of students … characterized by a common sense of purpose … that can be used to build a sense of group identity, cohesiveness, and uniqueness that encourage continuity and the integration of diverse curricular and co-curricular experiences” (Astin, 1985, p. 161).
Learning Communities
“…refers to a variety of curricular approaches that intentionally link or cluster two or more courses, often around an interdisciplinary them or problem, and enroll a common cohort of students. They represent an intentional restructuring of students’ time, credit, and learning experiences to build community, enhance learning, and foster connections among students, faculty and disciplines” (Smith, MacGregor, Matthews, & Gabelnick, 2004).
Benefits to Students
Increased manageability of large campuses by dividing into subsetsIncreased faculty-student interaction
Enhanced cognitive developmentIncreased academic achievement and retention
Increased satisfaction with collegiate experienceIncreased student involvementIncreased interaction with peersEnhanced growth and development
Effects on Institutions
Increased enrollment yields
Increased freshman to sophomore retention rates
Increased student affairs and academic affairs personnel interaction
Possible increase in monetary donations
Effects on Participating Faculty
Renewed sense of excitement about teaching
Change in teaching strategies
Better prepared students
Faculty Work Life Issues
Institutional mission creep/academic ratchet
Shift in faculty time allocation among research, teaching, and service
Faculty concerns about promotion and tenure
Why Do Faculty Participate at Your Institution?
Groups of about 6
Name
Institution
Institutional Type (Research, Liberal Arts, Doctoral, Comprehensive, etc.)
Why your faculty participate
Role Play
I am an assistant professor in the chemistry department at your institution. You want me to become a faculty participant in your residential learning community because students have said that I’m a really great professor. You take me to lunch to try to convince me….
Conceptual Framework – Motivational Systems Theory
Motivation: “the organized patterning of three psychological functions that serve to direct, energize, and regulate goal-directed activity: personal goals, emotional arousal processes, and personal agency beliefs” (Ford, 1992, p. 3).
Conceptual Framework
Personal Agency BeliefsContext beliefs
Department’s level of supportiveness
Role in promotion and tenure process
Capability beliefsAbility to make a commitment to the residential learning community
Time
Role in residential learning community
Research Questions
Why did tenured/tenure-track faculty participate in residential learning communities?
If a tenured/tenure-track faculty member chose not to participate in a residential learning community what were the reasons?
Research Questions (cont’d)
If a tenured/tenure-track faculty member ceased to participate in a residential learning community, what were the reasons?
What role did the promotion and tenure structure play in the decision to participate or not participate in a residential learning community?
Collection Sites
Three Research-Extensive Institutions
Residential Learning Communitiesroles for faculty
length of time in operation
depth of development
breadth of offerings
Participant Selection
Contacted learning community recruiter at each institution
Sought varied faculty participation levels
Employed purposeful sampling
Participants
Interviewed 48 faculty36 tenured/tenure-track12 contingent faculty
Participation Status TTT24 current participants6 former participants6 non participants
Gender TTT10 female26 male
Institution TTT18 from Institution 114 from Institution 24 from Institution 3
Faculty Rank TTT2 assistant professors9 associate professors25 full professors
Race/EthnicityNone self-identifiedResearcher did not ask
Data Collection
Semi-structured interviews
Loosely structured interview protocol
Six weeks’ data collection period in spring 2005
Data Analysis
Interviews tape recorded
Tapes transcribed
Analyzed using codingGeneral (Open) coding
Axial coding
Selective coding (story line developed)
#1. Why did tenured/tenure-track faculty participate in residential learning communities?
Faculty enjoyed interacting with students
Faculty liked having a positive influence on students’ academic performance and social integration
Faculty in administrative roles saw recruitment and retention benefits
Male faculty wanted to be seen as approachable by students
Women faculty in science and engineering majors wanted to keep women in the majors by providing a network of support
#1. cont’d
Why did tenured/tenure-track faculty participate in residential learning communities?
Non factorsProfessional goals
Drawbacks to participationLack of time
Disrespect for faculty time
#2. If a tenured/tenure-track faculty member chose not to participate in a residential learning community, what were the reasons?
Had other outlets for interacting with studentsFelt awkward dealing with the affective side of studentsThought it inappropriate and intrusive to interact with students in the residence hall environment
#3. If a tenured/tenure-track faculty member ceased to participate in a residential learning community, what were the reasons?
Had pre-determined terms of serviceCited lack of time for stopping their participationWere sometimes unsure of their role in the learning communityPerceived disrespect for their time
#4. What role did the promotion and tenure structure play in the decision to participate or not participate in a residential learning community?
Sacrificed research time to participate in the learning community
Had already done enough research
Multi-tasked to fit in all of their activities
Thought participation would count as service or for credit in teaching
Thought participation would have no effect on promotion and/or tenure
Analysis – MST Taxonomy of Personal Agency Belief Patterns
Context Beliefs
Capability Beliefs
Strong Moderate Weak
PositiveRobust
Modest Fragile
Neutral Tenacious VulnerableSelf-
Doubting
NegativeAccepting
OR Antagonistic
Discouraged Hopeless
Adapted from Ford (1992)
Personal Agency Belief Patterns – Current Participants
Context Beliefs Capability Beliefs
Strong Moderate Weak
PositiveRobust
(9)Modest
(2)
NeutralTenacious
(6)Vulnerable
(2)
Self-Doubting
(1)
NegativeAccepting
(2)Discouraged
(1)Hopeless
(1)
Personal Agency Belief Patterns – Former Participants
Context Beliefs Capability Beliefs
Strong Moderate Weak
PositiveModest
(1)
NeutralSelf-
Doubting(1)
NegativeAccepting
(1)Discouraged
(2)Hopeless
(1)
Personal Agency Belief Patterns – Non Participants
Context Beliefs Capability Beliefs
Strong Moderate Weak
PositiveRobust
(1)
NeutralVulnerable
(2)
NegativeAccepting
(1)Hopeless
(2)
Personal Agency Beliefs
Context Beliefs
Capability Beliefs
Strong Moderate Weak
Positive Robust Modest Fragile
Neutral Tenacious VulnerableSelf-
Doubting
Negative Accepting
OR Discouraged Hopeless
Antagonistic
Implications for Practice
Identify faculty who enjoy working with students Know and articulate the role for faculty in residential learning communitiesRespect faculty timeBe aware of faculty member’s stage in promotion/tenure processBe aware of size of the faculty member’s department
Practically Speaking…
Ask the faculty member about the extent of support from the department
Put faculty in touch with other faculty who currently participate (underground network)
Try to influence those factors you can
Realize that some faculty will simply “cycle out”
Sharing Results
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