ERIC Number: EJ1161050
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2018
Pages: 13
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1066-8926
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Strategies for Increasing Faculty Involvement in Institutional or Program Assessment
Caudle, LeAnn; Hammons, James O.
Community College Journal of Research and Practice, v42 n1 p49-61 2018
This narrative research study was conducted to explore the experiences of full-time community college faculty members involved in student learning outcomes assessment. Prior research documented the need for more community college faculty involvement with assessment at the program and institutional levels (Grunwald & Peterson, 2003; Kinzie, 2010; Nunley, Bers, & Manning, 2011); however, little research had been published about faculty experiences with assessment at these levels. This study adds to the body of literature about community college faculty participation with assessment by sharing the perspectives of faculty members who had participated with either program or institutional assessment on their campus. One-hour semi-structured interviews with nine participants at three different 2-year institutions recognized for their assessment processes provided the data for the study. The size of this study was limited to nine participants so that an in-depth exploration of each participant's experience with assessment could be conducted. The shared experiences of the participants in this study revealed that faculty involvement with assessment beyond the course level was primarily influenced by faculty perception of assessment being valued as a tool for institutional improvement. Three indicators of the value placed on assessment by these institutions were that they: (a) allocated resources (time and training) for assessment, (b) clearly articulated the goals of assessment at their institution, and (c) demonstrated how assessment results were used in institutional decision-making. This study also revealed that faculty members' prior experience working with assessment and individual skills or abilities also influenced decisions to become involved with assessment.
Descriptors: College Faculty, Community Colleges, Teacher Participation, Institutional Evaluation, Program Evaluation, College Outcomes Assessment, Semi Structured Interviews, Experience, Influences, Individual Characteristics, Institutional Characteristics, Teacher Attitudes
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A