What do students think about the learning process? This article describes the patterns of what students think about their learning, gathered from 45 classes using mid-semester Small Group Instructional Diagnosis (SGID). We learned that SDIGs provided insights into students' perceptions of how learning works that are not identified in the…

What makes some faculty members more likely to use interactive engagement methods than others? We use the theory of reasoned action to predict faculty members' use of interactive engagement methods. Results indicate that faculty members' beliefs about the personal positive consequences of using these methods (e.g., "Using…

Adjunct instructors are the fastest growing population of faculty in the academy; and, given the current economic condition and its impact on institutions of higher learning, the proportion of adjunct faculty is likely to increase (Gappa, Austin & Trice, 2007; NCES, 2011). Yet the adjunct population continues to remain disconnected from the…

The current study examines the experiences of faculty in a research learning community developed to support new faculty in increasing scholarly productivity. A phenomenological, qualitative inquiry was used to portray the lived experiences of faculty within a learning community. Several themes were found including: accountability, belonging,…

Many universities have observed needs and shared goals that include increasing faculty members' research productivity (in quantity or quality). Strategies for raising faculty performance include revising standards and supporting valued outcomes with rewards and incentives. One college at a research-extensive university received institutional…

"Striving" is a concept that describes colleges and universities seeking to reposition themselves as more prestigious, often more research-focused institutions (O'Meara, 2007). The goal of this paper is to explore faculty members' views of a striving university context. My analysis revealed that faculty assigned both rewards…

Leveraging Educational Technology for Evidence-Based Practice (LET-EBP), a four year federally funded project, was designed to extend use of educational technologies in the prelicensure undergraduate nursing program of a large public research university. Faculty members supported through the project developed and integrated over 20…

Most studies in faculty development focus on assessing participant satisfaction rather than documenting change. The purpose of this study was to explore the possible short-term outcomes of a faculty development initiative. The research question that guided our study was: How does a faculty development seminar influence change in participants'…

The purpose of this study was to determine the merit and applicability of the mid-career faculty development model proposed by Baldwin and Chang (2006). A total of 7 associate and 10 full professors participated in semi-structured interviews. Categories were developed from an inductive analysis. The results showed positive support for the model…

Innovations in faculty development, particularly those that make the most of available technologies, are essential. "Learning is a social activity and we are social beings; and everything is connected" (Trammel & Bruce, 2008). Finding methods for creating these faculty connections is a challenge--one that can be met by technology.…

This study explores the climate for teaching at a major Midwest research university. Teaching climate is generally defined as the shared perceptions of current organizational processes that affect the institutional environment for teaching (Peterson et al., 1991; Tagiuri, 1968). Three types of distinguished teaching awards were used to select…

This article explores a significant element of faculty development that is often missing or given little attention. The author analyzes the results of a series of Courage Study Circles, which provided time and space for faculty members to reflect upon and revitalize their identity as teachers. The study draws on participant evaluations of yearly…

While the literature on self-authorship has focused on the development of college students and young adults highlighting various developmental tasks associated with the ages 17 through 30 (e.g., Baxter Magolda, 2001, 2003, 2004), in this article, we explore the exercise and development of faculty members' self-authorship as educators, proposing…

Physical therapy faculty share similarities with faculty across allied health fields, such as nursing, and other clinical disciplines that educate students in licensing and board certification programs. Most have clinical experience and discipline-based expertise, however they may not have had the benefit of continuous learning aimed at enhancing…

All faculty regardless of discipline or school need to be highly competent at writing for an academic audience. The "publish or perish" pressure is alive and well for academic advancement, publications, and external grant funding. Yet few faculty, particularly in the health professions and sciences, receive formal training on the craft of writing.…