Date of Award

Fall 12-1-2006

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Curriculum, Instruction, and Media Technology

First Advisor

Susan M. Powers

Second Advisor

Sue Kiger

Third Advisor

Joshua Powers

Abstract

This study used a mixed method research design to examine the effects of a targeted professional development program, Project A.P.T. (Academy for Part-time Teachers), on effectiveness of four adjunct faculty as instructors. Project A.P.T. was developed to help acclimate new pm1-tirne faculty to community college teaching. Though faculty may repo11 that they implement whal they have learned, rarely do colleges evaluate the impact of faculty development on student learning. Given the needs of community college students, many of whom enter under-prepared, it is imperative that the largest majority of the faculty, adjuncts, come to the classroom as highly trained and instructionally qualified professionals. Interviews and self-reflections were used to gather faculty perceptions of their experience in A.P.T. Analysis of variance tests were conducted on Student Feedback Questionnaires to detennine faculty change and persistence of change and on final course grades to detem1ine student learning. The quantitative analysis showed a statistically significant improvement from the pre-Project A.P.T. semester to the first post-A.P.T. semester, but showed statistically significant negative means for subsequent semesters. The most powerful and valuable conclusions are revealed in the words of the participants themselves. The frustrations, fears, and challenges that new adjunct faculty face come through loud and clear. These facully, especially those new to teaching or to teaching at IV the community college, feel lost and ignored. An unintended. though very interesting and perhaps most powerful, observation was how the adjunct fnctilty exhibit some of the most important characteristics of the excellent teacher described in the Roucchc-Bakcr Teaching Excellence Model. Despite the inconclusive results of the quantitative data, the qualitative findings are important because they indicate that the professionnt development program, Project A.P.T., had a great effect on the faculty, perhaps more in less dcrim1blc tcrn1s than student learning reflected by final course grades.

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