Faculty in Transition: A Longitudinal Analysis of Perceived Control and Type of Institution in the Research Productivity of Newly Hired Faculty

The systemic changes facing postsecondary institutions today pose a threat to the quality of academic programs unless new faculty can be successfully attracted and retained. To be more competitive in the recruitment and retention of faculty, a better understanding is needed of the adjustment experiences of newly hired faculty. Our study examined the adjustment of new hires at the point of entry into their institutions using research productivity as one indicator of adaptation. It was expected that perceived personal control, age, gender, and type of institution would relate to research productivity. At the beginning of their first and second year, newly hired faculty in three different types of postsecondary institutions responded to a comprehensive questionnaire concerning their initial adjustment experiences. A path analysis indicated both direct and indirect linkages between the independent variables of interest and research productivity. Substantial direct paths were found between the institution type and research productivity, specifically for the research I and liberal arts/comprehensive institutions, and to a lesser degree, between age and research productivity. Age, the research I university, and the liberal arts/comprehensive universities had direct effects on two measures of perceived control and were linked indirectly to research productivity via perceived control. Perceived control resulting from the personal qualities of the faculty members was instrumental to research productivity, whereas perceived control resulting from activities initiated by faculty members were not related to productivity. Surprisingly, gender was not related to research productivity through either direct or indirect paths. If the adjustment of newly hired faculty is viewed in terms of research productivity, then these results suggest that perceived control, the milieu of research-oriented institutions, and age (to a limited extent), are important predictors of faculty performance.     

Faculty in Transition: A Longitudinal Analysis of the Role of Perceived Control and Type of Institution in Adjustment to Postsecondary Institutions

As postsecondary institutions undergo major changes in the coming years, they will be hardpressed to maintain the quality of their programs unless they can successfully attract and retain new faculty. Understanding something about the experiences of new faculty should enable postsecondary institutions to be more effective in the recruitment process. The present study examined the adjustment of newly hired faculty at the point of entry into their institutions and subsequently for a three-year period. It was expected that perceived personal control, teaching experience, gender, type of institution, and time would be particularly critical to the adjustment of new faculty. Three surveys were administered one year apart to newly hired, tenure-track faculty who responded to questions about their adjustment experiences. The results indicated that perceived control is a critical factor affecting new hires' emotional well-being, stress levels, job satisfaction, etc., either by itself or in combination with institution type and time. Overall, new hires who were identified as having greater control believed they had more control over their teaching and career in general, were more satisfied with their teaching and their career, had less teaching- and career-related job stress, and were less likely to consider quitting their job. The type of institution also affected new hires' adjustment, with the liberal arts colleges and a comprehensive I institution having the most negative impact compared with a community college and a research I institution. Finally, time had an unexpected negative effect on adjustment. These finding were discussed in relation to the career development of faculty.     

Estimating the economic payoff to virtual university education: a case study of the Open University of Catalonia

This study extends the scope of research that examines the connection between physical attractiveness and student perception through a survey analysis. While other studies concentrate on physical attractiveness alone, we examined not only perceptions of attractiveness but its impact on students’ perception of knowledge, approachability and faculty selection in a hypothetical course. Using ordered logistic regression, logistic regression and ordinary least squares regression to examine the interaction between age, attractiveness, knowledge and approachability, our findings show that younger faculty members are perceived as more approachable and more attractive, while older faculty members are perceived as more knowledgeable. Faculty perceived as more attractive are also perceived to be more approachable. Further, we test the impact that these results have on faculty selection in a hypothetical course and find that students are more likely to select an attractive and approachable faculty member to take a course with, regardless of perceived knowledge of the faculty member. Overall, although the perception of beauty may be cursory, its results may not be when considering the primacy effect, role model effect and teaching effectiveness assessment.     

Determinants of faculty attitudes toward collective bargaining in university graduate departments: An organizational climate approach

This study examines the relationship between some facets of organizational climate in university departments and faculty attitudes toward various aspects of faculty unionization. The dimensions of organizational climate explored are: the perceived power structure, assessment of rewards, and perceived organizational goals. The major findings of this study are: (a) The perceived power structure is an important determinant of attitudes toward an egalitarian system, especially in the social sciences. Perceived individual power is negatively related to egalitarian attitude in the physical sciences whereas perceived faculty group power is negatively related to favorable attitudes toward collective bargaining in the social sciences. (b) Perceived emphasis on consulting activities is positively related to attitudes toward seniority-based aspects of collective bargaining in the physical sciences while perceived emphasis on personal factors is positively related to all aspects of attitude toward collective bargaining in the social sciences. (c) Inequity is positively related to attitudes toward unionization both in the physical and social sciences. The policy implications of these findings to faculty and university administration are discussed.     

Factors That Promote Faculty Involvement in and Satisfaction with Institutional and Classroom Student Assessment

This study examines institutional factors that promote faculty satisfaction with their institution's approach to and support for student assessment and that are related to faculty involvement in their institution's support practices and in their own engagement with student assessment in the classroom. The study is based on a survey of faculty from 7 institutions that vary by type, control, and accrediting region. The institution's student assessment purposes, its administrative support patterns, and its faculty instructional impacts are significant predictors of faculty satisfaction with their institution's approach to and support for student assessment. External influences on, faculty uses, and perceived benefits of professional development practices for student assessment are significant predictors of faculty involvement with student assessment in their institution and their classes.     

Faculty perceptions of teaching support and teaching efficacy in Taiwan

The purpose of this study was to investigate university faculty’s perceptions of teaching support and their teaching efficacy in Taiwan. In addition, the relationship of perceived teaching support to faculty’ teaching efficacy was examined. Questionnaires measuring three dimensions of teaching support and six dimensions of teaching efficacy were distributed to 1,700 university faculty members, yielding 505 complete sets of responses. The public faculty show higher perceptions of teaching support and teaching efficacy than do their counterparts. The correlation coefficients between perceived teaching support and teaching efficacy among the public faculty are lower than those among the private ones. Peer support, teaching resources, and university type have some impact on faculty teaching efficacy. Administrative support, however, does not make a significant additional contribution to the variance in teaching efficacy.     

Participant or spectator? Comprehending the willingness of faculty to use intelligent tutoring systems in the artificial intelligence era

The advancement of technology, especially the development and application of artificial intelligence, has deeply affected the education sector and brought opportunities for pedagogical adaptation. Intelligent tutoring systems, a major application of artificial intelligence in education, have drawn extensive concerns. However, in reality, the penetration rate of intelligent tutoring systems and the enthusiasm of faculty to use are still relatively low. This research examined the determinants of the willingness of faculty to use intelligent tutoring systems. Innovation diffusion theory was the theoretical basis of this research and it was adapted by incorporating perceived trust and experience. To gather data, a cross-sectional questionnaire survey was performed and structural equation modeling was employed to analyze the data. The findings indicated that relative advantage, compatibility, perceived trust and experience are the contributing determinants of the willingness of faculty to use intelligent tutoring systems, while complexity has no significant effect. Meanwhile, complexity is significantly negatively affected by experience and compatibility. Relative advantage is significantly positively affected by perceived trust but not by complexity. Based on the research findings, relevant recommendations for encouraging faculty to use intelligent tutoring systems were proposed.     

Investigating faculty decisions to adopt Web 2.0 technologies: Theory and empirical tests

While students are increasing their use of emerging technologies such as text messaging, wikis, social networks, and other Web 2.0 applications, this is not the case with many university faculty. The purpose of this study was to assess faculty's awareness of the benefits of Web 2.0 to supplement in-class learning and better understand faculty's decisions to adopt these tools using the decomposed theory of planned behavior (DTPB) model. Findings indicated that while some faculty members feel that some Web 2.0 technologies could improve students' learning, their interaction with faculty and with other peers, their writing abilities, and their satisfaction with the course; few choose to use them in the classroom. Additional results indicated that faculty's attitude and their perceived behavioral control are strong indicators of their intention to use Web 2.0. A number of implications are drawn highlighting how the use of Web 2.0 could be useful in the classroom.     

Organizational Capacity and Political Activities of Canadian University Faculty Associations

In this study we examine the organizational capacity and political activities of Canadian university faculty associations in the development of higher education policy. We attempt to describe, from the perspective of the faculty associations, their political role both internal and extenral to the university and the extent to which faculty associations perceive themselves as being able to influence issues of policy. We report the findings of a national survey of university faculty associations including data on organizational structure, finance, perceived influence on institutional and provincial government, policy, services and programs, and other factors related to their role as political pressure groups.     

INTERPERSONAL BEHAVIOR AND THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE DEPARTMENT CHAIRPERSON

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between department/division chairpersons' interpersonal behavior and their perceived leadership effectiveness. The Departmental Evaluation of Chairperson Activities for Development (DECAD) system was used to determine the department chairpersons' administrative effectiveness. Element B, developed by Will Schutz, was used to assess the chairpersons' interpersonal behavioral characteristics. The participants were department/division chairpersons and full-time faculty members from 15 of the 17 public and private community colleges in a southern state. Survey packets were mailed to faculty members and department/ division chairpersons in the humanities and social sciences divisions. Sixty-seven percent of the faculty responded and 93% of the chairpersons responded. Statistical analyses revealed significant differences in the dependent variables of received inclusion, perceived inclusion, and wanted inclusion interpersonal behaviors between the ineffective and effective chairs. These findings suggest that effective department chairpersons possess a need to maintain and establish interaction with others. Also, effective chairpersons were perceived to be, and want to be, included by others.     

Workplace Faculty Friendships and Work-Family Culture

Although various work-family policies are available to faculty members, many underuse these policies due to concerns about negative career consequences. Therefore, we believe it is important to develop an academic work culture that is more supportive of work-family needs. Using network data gathered from faculty members at a Midwestern university, this study investigated the relationship between friendship connections with colleagues and perceived work-family supportiveness in the department. It also explored the role of parental status in the relationship for men and women. Results show that faculty with larger friendship networks have more positive perceptions of work-family culture compared to faculty with smaller friendship networks, for all faculty except women without children.     

身份之困:高校“非编”青年教职工心理状态的实证研究

采用职业倦怠问卷、压力感知量表和工作效能感量表测量了188名高校青年教职工,探讨压力感知和工作效能感在身份类别和职业倦怠之间的作用。结果表明:高校“非编”青年教职工职业倦怠、压力感知水平显著高于在编青年教职工,工作效能感水平显著低于在编教青年职工;除直接影响外,身份类别还通过压力感知、工作效能感的多重中介效应间接影响高校青年教职工职业倦怠水平。提出如下建议:寻找编制身份之外的替代性方案,警惕稳定带来的“逆淘汰”机制,重视青年教职工的人文关怀与心理建设。     

“Mentoring is Sharing the Excitement of Discovery”: Faculty Perceptions of Undergraduate Research Mentoring

Although an increasing number of studies have examined students’ participation in undergraduate research (UR), little is known about faculty perceptions of mentoring in this context. The purpose of this exploratory study was to investigate four aspects of mentoring UR, including how faculty define high-quality UR mentoring and operationalize it in practice; what the perceived benefits and challenges of UR participation are for mentors and students; how mentoring relates to faculty perceptions of their other roles (teachers, advisors, and scholars); and how participation in various communities of practice influences UR mentoring. Sixty faculty respondents at a private, midsized comprehensive institution completed an online survey. In a series of qualitative analyses, responses to open-ended questions were coded as instrumental, psychosocial, or blended. Analyses revealed that faculty perceptions of UR mentoring were impacted by faculty approach to UR mentoring and faculty rank. These findings may be helpful in the development of UR programs and faculty support programming.     

Faculty Incivility in Higher Education of Afghanistan: Students’ Perspectives

Interchange - The study investigated students’ perception of faculty incivility in higher educations of Afghanistan. It studied faculty behaviors perceived the most uncivil by students and...     

Using PowerPoint Animations to Teach Operations Management Techniques and Concepts

This article examines the value of using complex animated PowerPoint presentations to teach operations management techniques and concepts. To provide context, literature covering the use of PowerPoint animations in business education is briefly reviewed. The specific animations employed in this study are identified and their expected benefits to students and faculty are discussed. Evidence of their perceived value to students and faculty is then presented.     

Organizational climate and faculty attitudes toward collective bargaining: A university in a major labor dispute

The present study attempts to broaden Neumann's (1979) original study, which included only universities with favorable labor relations, and to assess the role of organizational climate in predicting and explaining faculty attitudes toward collective bargaining at a college facing severe labor problems. The major findings of this study are the following. First, the perceived power structure is the dominant predictor of attitudes toward unionization at the university in a labor dispute. The magnitude of relationships between perceived power and collective bargaining attitudes is noticeably stronger at the university with unfavorable labor relations than at universities with favorable labor relations. Second, inequity is related to some aspects of collective bargaining and is not related to others. Third, perceived goals do not effect faculty attitudes toward unionization. The implications of these findings are discussed and elaborated.     

FACULTY DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES IN THE ILLINOIS COMMUNITY COLLEGE SYSTEM

In a time of declining resources and restricted faculty mobility, faculty mobility, faculty development has become increasingly important. This study addressed faculty development activities, their evaluation, and their perceived impact on the improvement of instruction in the community colleges of Illinois. Data gathered through the use of a questionnaire mailed to the chief academic officer of each of the state's community colleges were analyzed and interpreted. It was found that a wide variety of activities — orientation, inservice, professional, individual, and group — are available to faculty members. Orientation activities were viewed as being moderately useful for the improvement of instruction. Respondents saw professional activities as somewhat more useful than inservice activities. With some qualifications, group activities were perceived as being more useful than individual activities. Evaluation efforts, for the most part, are as yet sporadic and unsophisticated.

The results of this study suggest that perhaps the traditional inservice‐type activities may not be the “one best way” to deliver quality faculty development aimed at the improvement of instruction. Faculty‐development planners may want to examine more closely the needs of their faculty in relation to the activities available. In addition to continuing the most useful of the group and inservice activities, attention should be directed toward those individual and professional activities not frequently offered but rated as highly effective in improving instruction.     

Oh,won’t you stay? Predictors of faculty intent to leave a public research university

Understanding and predicting faculty intent to leave is important to the development of improved conceptual frameworks of faculty success as well as the implementation of effective retention strategies for academic leaders and institutions that invest considerable resources in recruitment, institutional support, and compensation. This study examined the relationship between various research-based factors and faculty intent to leave by integrating components identified in the extant literature for employee turnover more generally and faculty intent to leave more specifically. The results of binary logistic regression models identified workplace stress, being in a “soft-pure” discipline, fewer years of service at the university, and higher research productivity as key predictors of faculty having considered leaving for another institution. Key predictors for faculty having considered leaving academe altogether were being in a “hard-applied” discipline, not having a spouse or partner, a perceived lack of support, a perceived lack of fit, stress of raising a family, and dissatisfaction with certain aspects of the “faculty job”. The implications for research, policy, and practice are discussed.     

Assessing Institutionalization of Curricular and Pedagogical Reforms

Stakeholders often want evidence that curricular and pedagogical reforms will endure, but institutionalization of reforms is typically assessed superficially, if at all. This study involved developing and testing an Institutionalization Process Model. The model was developed from literature on institutional theory and a qualitative investigation of factors influencing institutionalization of externally funded curricular and pedagogical reforms at 7 engineering schools. The reforms focused on content (design), method (group projects), and improving the climate for students underrepresented in engineering. The model posits that regulative, normative, and cognitive institutionalization processes affect the likely diffusion of curricular and pedagogical reforms beyond faculty members directly involved in the reform effort. Subsequently, institutional data and a faculty survey conducted at the seven engineering schools were used to test the model using logistic regression. Findings showed that cognitive institutionalization indicators had a stronger influence than regulative or normative indicators on diffusion of design and group projects. The normative indicator of perceived support for teaching was the only significant predictor of increased sensitivity to the needs of underrepresented students.