ERIC Number: EJ1062845
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2014
Pages: 17
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-2161-4210
EISSN: N/A
Faculty Attitudes toward General Education Assessment: A Qualitative Study about Their Motivation
MacDonald, Sarah K.; Williams, Laura M.; Lazowski, Rory A.; Horst, S. Jeanne; Barron, Kenneth E.
Research & Practice in Assessment, v9 p74-90 Sum 2014
As assessment becomes an ever more critical facet of higher education, it is apparent that some faculty do not always value assessment (Crossley & Wang, 2010; Ebersole, 2009). Further, faculty may react with resistance, particularly when they perceive that assessment is being imposed upon them from external sources (Crossley & Wang, 2010; Marrs, 2009; Welsh & Metcalf, 2003). Motivation for faculty to participate in assessment is therefore a critical question. We conducted a qualitative study to explore faculty attitudes towards general education assessment, focusing particularly on faculty motivation for engaging in assessment. General education coordinators were interviewed about their perceptions of student learning outcomes assessment, using a semi-structured interview approach, and then coded by consensus according to Expectancy-Value Theory of motivation (Eccles et al., 1983; Wigfield & Eccles, 2000; Wentzel & Brophy, 2014). Implications for future assessment practice are also shared.
Descriptors: College Faculty, Teacher Attitudes, Educational Assessment, Teacher Motivation, General Education, Qualitative Research, Semi Structured Interviews, Theories
Virginia Assessment Group. Tel: 504-314-2898; Fax: 504-247-1232; e-mail: editor@rpajournal.com; Web site: http://www.rpajournal.com/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Tests/Questionnaires; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Virginia
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A