Professional Development Needs of Full-Time Faculty in Technical Colleges

Abstract

In the Georgia technicd college system, 714 full-time faculty members rated the importance of various areas of professional development. The developmental activities fell into the clusters of technology, student guidance and support, instruction, promotion. administration and management, and curriculum. The highest rated item in the technology cluster was the ability to use email. ranked seventh overall. In student support and guidance. providing academic advising was ranked fifth overall. The instructional cluster had the greatest number of important items: the preparation of effective instructional materials, using hands-on strategies, providing individual and group instruction, and developing higher-order skills, ranked first. second, third, and sixth. respectively. In the curriculuni cluster, two activities were ranked highly: creating and modifying the curriculum and the ability to work with advisory committees and etnployers to meet changing needs were ranked fourth and eighth. respectively. The faculty members did not consider activities within the promotional and administrative clusters as very important. A performance gap analysis identified gaps between what the faculty believed to be important and what they felt competent in performing in each cluster. ( I I ref-Deprrrfmrtrt ($Adult Educcr/ittn. CJnirvr.sity of Gror,+$ci. 0344-411CiMTWasburn, Mara H. Faculty Mentoring: What the Boyer Commission Forgot. Planning for Higher Education, 2004-2005 pp. 23-30.The I998 Boyer Commission report and 2001 follow-up concluded that university faculties devote insufficient attention to undergraduate teaching. In response, this article proposes a program for improving undergraduate education at research universities through a teaching enhancement program and collaborative professional contacts that transcend disciplinary boundaries. Mentoring is the key. Formal mentoring programs include grooming mentoring, networking mentoring. ;ind combined grooming and networking mentoring. Whereas grooming mentoring represents the traditional mentor-protegk relationship. networking mentoring involves the exchange of information among equals. (3 I ret)---A.ssistrrnt P r o f w o r of Orgtrnixrtioncil Lrri(lcr.ship and Supnisioti. School of Technology. Purdite Utii,vrsir~.

Hiring and Developing Quality Community College Faculty

“…McGregor (2002) took this belief even further and claimed that ''positive change in pedagogy comes through a sustained faculty development program that focuses on learning outcomes'' (p. 724). Wallin and Smith (2005) found that faculty want focused activities that help them not only develop their instructional techniques, but that are also well-planned, goal-oriented, and supportive.…”

“…VanDerLinden (2005) wrote about faculty development in terms of professional development which included, ''furthering one's education, participating in professional development activities, and cultivating mentoring relationships'' (p. 729). Wallin and Smith (2005) suggest that professional development should be relevant to teachers with a goal of offering innovative ways to keep teaching methods and delivery fresh. According to Newland, Newland, Steele, Lough, and McCurdy (2003), the goal of faculty development is to provide all faculty members with developmental resources for meaningful and productive careers.…”

Higher School Professors’ Needs for the Development of Qualification: the Facet of Academic Activity

“…Organizuojant tyrimą pirmiausia orientuotasi į tuos veiklos aspektus, kurie turėtų būti svarbūs Lietuvos aukštųjų mokyklų dėstytojams. Tuo tikslu tyrėjai rėmėsi mokslinių šaltinių analize, o žinias ir gebėjimus sugrupavo pagal dėstytojo veiklos sritis, kurias numatė D. L. Wallin ir C. L. Smith (2005) Tyrimo, vykdyto 2015 m., metu prašyta skirtingų šalies miestų aukštųjų mokyklų dėstytojų įvertinti nurodytų žinių ir gebėjimų trūkumą bei pažymėti kai kuriuos demografinius duomenis: lytį, pedagoginio darbo aukštojoje mokykloje stažą, mokslinių tyrimų sritis, aukštosios mokyklos tipą, mokslo laipsnį. Šioje anketoje respondentų prašyta nurodyti pagal keturbalę ranginę skalę, kaip stipriai jie įsisąmonina nurodytų žinių ir gebėjimų trūkumą.…”

Analysis of adjunct faculty at Des Moines Area Community College: Use and application of Herzberg's motivation-hygiene theory to predict job satisfaction in teaching improvement and professional development

“…The research indicates that faculty members need to be provided with more information on how to integrate the newest forms of technology in their classroom and faculty development activities could drive the delivery of this information. As stated by Wallin and Smith (2005). "…the changing demands of employers and emerging technologies place additional stress on faculty" (p. 88).…”