Faculty Interaction Research Articles

Student perceptions of the climate for diversity: The role of student–faculty interactions.

Student perceptions of the climate for diversity: The role of student–faculty interactions.

Well-being and student–faculty interactions in higher education

ABSTRACT The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) calls for going beyond the measure of market strength to assess societal progress through a consideration of well-being. Research on college and university student experiences and outcomes can consider students’ well-being as a means of obtaining a fuller understanding of the positive impact of student–faculty interactions. This study uses longitudinal data from the Wabash National Study of Liberal Arts Education to examine the relationship between five measures of interactions with faculty and students’ end-of-fourth-year psychological well-being in the United States. Results reveal that several measures of student–faculty interaction are positively associated with fourth-year well-being, and that the frequency and perceived quality of those interactions are most salient in terms of students’ well-being gains over four years of college or university. These findings suggest that student–faculty interactions matter in terms of students’ well-being, in turn making it important for faculty and administrators to consider how to prioritize demands on faculty members’ time.

We Don’t Know What they Did Last Summer: Examining Relationships among Parental Education, Faculty Interaction, and College Students’ Post-First Year Summer Experiences

Students may have experiences that relate to long-term retention and success during the summer after completing their first year in college. Research shows that college students’ engagement and success varies based on their cultural and social capital. However, there is a dearth of research on how their cultural and social capital is associated with college students’ summer experiences after they complete their first year. The purpose of this study is to better understand the ways that students’ cultural and social capital—as measured through relationships with parents and faculty—relate to their participation in undergraduate research, internships, paid work, or volunteering after the first year of college. We analyzed longitudinal data from 1,066 students at three universities using data from the Pathways through College Study. We found that students who had parents with graduate or professional degrees had higher odds of participating in summer undergraduate research and internships, compared to first-generation college students. Students who had interactions with faculty outside of the classroom also had higher odds of participating in the four summer experiences, but the relationship between parental education and post-first year experiences do not vary depending on the level of faculty interactions. This study offers implications for faculty and student affairs practitioners related to encouraging students to participate in post-first year summer opportunities, particularly students with less social and cultural capital through their parents or faculty.

Gender and leadership development in undergraduate computing: a closer look at women’s leadership conceptions

ABSTRACT Background and Context Women remain underrepresented in undergraduate computing, student leadership roles, and computing leadership positions after college. This study provides insight into these inequities by examining gender and leadership conceptions among computing undergraduate students. Objective Guided by leadership identity development and undergraduate socialization theories, I examine the relationship between college experiences and computing students’ leadership confidence, focusing on the moderating role of gender. Method This study uses regression analysis, relying on a longitudinal sample of 1,081 computing students. Findings Findings highlight the role of family, peer, and faculty interactions in predicting leadership outcomes, with special attention to conditional effects by gender. Additionally, findings reveal that leadership confidence in computing appears to be more malleable than students’ general confidence in their leadership abilities. Unfortunately, I found that computing leadership confidence actually declines over time and that computing and general leadership ratings misaligned, such that women reported lower computing leadership confidence, relative to their general leadership confidence. Implications Findings point to the importance of discipline-specific inquiry on college student leadership development. Other findings underscore the importance of fostering high quality student-faculty interactions in computing.

Social Integration of Student Veterans: The Influence of Interactions with Faculty on Peer-Group Interactions

Student veterans are distinct nontraditional students, inasmuch as their transition to campus is twofold. They are not only taking on the role of a student, but also their new lives as civilians. Their relationships with peers can then be strained, as the age, maturity level, and expectations may differ from the traditional-aged college student. Therefore, interactions with faculty members are imperative to help encourage student veterans’ peer-group interactions. This quantitative analysis studied peer-group and faculty interactions of 87 veteran undergraduate students in the spring 2020 semester at a regional comprehensive university. Using a linear regression analysis, findings demonstrate that faculty interactions accounted for 23% of the variance in peer-group interactions. Further examination showed there was no statistically significant difference between peer-group and faculty interactions based on gender. Recommendations for practice to support faculty in recognizing the unique needs of student veterans and considerations for further study are offered.

Students as Consumers: Retaining Engineering Students by Designing Learner-Centric Courses of Value

The global economy’s dependency upon engineers is exacerbated by a lack of qualified engineers. Most engineering students fail to complete the credential. According to the American Society for Engineering Education (2018), the high dropout rate has been correlated to satisfaction with the learning experience. Investigation of an international accelerated blended distance program designed for adult learners at a large southwestern university requiring a redesign of courses was selected for this study. The researchers wanted to identify the key components of satisfaction and student engagement, then develop an equitable instructional design model. The mixed-methods study utilized the three elements of the Community of Inquiry as the theoretical lens. The study attempted to identify the key course characteristics which could increase satisfaction and reduce dropout rates. Design components, grades, and satisfaction rates were studied. Performance data (grades) were examined and indicated no significant correlation between grades and satisfaction. Six suggested areas for enhancement were faculty interaction, authenticity, student-to-student engagement, feedback, multimedia, and homework. Through an evaluation of the quality of the courses and satisfaction, design standards could be established, resulting in quality-of-life enhancement.

Unparallel Pathways: Exploring How Divergent Academic Norms Contribute to the Transfer Shock of STEM Students

ABSTRACT The overarching purpose of this study was to explore the post-transfer factors contributing to transfer shock. More specifically, this study sought to understand what academic normative differences exist between community college and transfer institution contexts and how these differences induced transfer shock. The study focused on STEM majors due to existing research showing they experience the greatest shock and increasing policy emphasis on students in STEM fields. Unlike existing literature that focuses on student characteristics associated with transfer shock, this study used a human capital frame to highlight the role of institutional contexts and norms in relation to shock. Participants in this study were transfer students who hailed from 17 geographically diverse community colleges across five states and completed semi-structured interviews. Results highlight substantial normative differences in terms of faculty interactions, divergent exam norms, and expectations of independent learning. Findings underscore the presence of a disjuncture in academic norms between community colleges and four-year transfer universities that helps explain transfer shock and transitional academic issues transfer students experience.

Learning Postdisruption: Lessons from Students in a Fully Online Nonmajors Laboratory Course

Students and instructors bring varying levels of experience and expectations to online learning. This became even more apparent in March 2020 when the pandemic disrupted face-to-face instruction and required rapid conversion to remote teaching. In this study, mixed methods were used to understand how students perceived these instructional changes and to examine the effects of remote learning on their approach to subsequent coursework and faculty interactions. First, open-ended survey data collected from students enrolled in a summer 2020 nonmajors asynchronous laboratory course were analyzed to learn more about students’ spring 2020 remote learning experiences. The questions directly addressed remote learning experiences and emphasized study strategies learned, faculty communication modes, and students’ perceived ability at taking online courses. Second, four consecutive years of survey data—including both Likert-type scale surveys and open-ended questions—were analyzed to identify core themes and to measure variations between cohorts. These data present a unique opportunity in that they allow for critical analyses and document differences in online learning experiences for student cohorts pre- (2017–2019) and post- (2020) the COVID-19 disruption. The findings from the survey data can be used to inform how faculty may better focus their teaching efforts while promoting student learning and engagement during a time of continued teaching disruption and uncertainty. The overall results of this study are applicable to all levels of chemistry courses. In addition, the established nonmajors online laboratory course model presented in this study provides a strong example for others who are developing new online or hybrid chemistry courses.

Patients as teachers: Evaluating the experiences of volunteer inpatients during medical student clinical skills training.

PurposeEarly patient encounters in medical education are an important element of clinical skill development. This study explores the experiences of volunteer inpatients (VIPs) participating in clinical skills training with junior medical students (JMS) solely for educational purposes.MethodsFollowing first-year medical students practicing history taking and clinical examinations with VIPs at Toronto General Hospital (TGH) and Toronto Western Hospital (TWH), patients completed a questionnaire and a short audio-recorded interview. This study used a mixed methodological approach. A 5-point Likert-scaled survey queried satisfaction regarding the recruitment process, student and faculty interactions and patient demographics (e.g. age and educational background). A 10-minute follow-up interview investigated patient perspectives. Survey responses were correlated to patient demographics and descriptive thematic analysis summarized trends in patient perspectives.ResultsOf 93 consenting VIPs, 66% were male and 58% participated at TGH. The mean overall experience was positive (4.76 and 4.93 at TGH and TWH, respectively). Three themes emerging through thematic analysis were Not “Just” a Medical Student, Patient as Teacher, and Promoting Best Practices. VIPs reported positive experiences when they were adequately informed of the VIP role during recruitment, and when students exhibited confidence, interest, and respect throughout the session.ConclusionStudy results provide clarity about VIP experiences with JMS and lay a foundation for improved patient satisfaction and best practices within clinical skills curricula in the health professions.

Internet of Things: Applications and Challenges at Higher Learning Institutions

The Internet of Things (IoT) is an inovative system where internet is connected to the physical world via ubiquitous sensors and is rapidly making its way into higher learning institutions. By modifying how higher institutions gather data, interface with students and automate processes, the IoT has the potential of revolutionizing education. Universities may offer opportunities to magnify content delivery, augment learner and faculty interaction when IoT devices are utilized. Massive open online courses, online software application and education applications make students co-creators and active individuals in acquiring their knowledge and experience. However, many challenges such as Malware, Distributed Denial of Service, data storage, data security, privacy, decentralized network management and connectivity come along with the use of internet:. This conceptual paper offers suggestions to overcome these challenges to address future threats to IoT and provides directions for future research.

Teaching Honors Courses: Perceptions of Engagement from the Faculty Perspective

Research suggests that honors students are more likely to be engaged in some, but not all, aspects of the college experience, although there is less information available from the faculty perspective. This study presents findings from the Faculty Survey of Student Engagement (FSSE), comparing various engagement-related practices between faculty who teach honors courses and those who do not. Along with core FSSE items, this study uses responses from 1,487 faculty members at 15 institutions on two items about teaching honors courses. A series of ordinary least squares regression analyses suggest that faculty who teach honors courses are more likely to encourage engagement in the areas of student–faculty interaction, learning strategies, and collaborative learning, even after controlling for other demographic and institutional variables. These findings are considered within the context of existing research and theory, connecting knowledge from higher education and gifted education.

Ref: NET_2019_1563: Working while studying: The impact of term-time employment on undergraduate nursing students' engagement in the Republic of Ireland: A cross-sectional study

BackgroundGlobally, there is evidence that tertiary education students are increasingly combining full time study with paid term-time employment. Despite this dual participation, little is known about the impact of working for pay during term on students' engagement with activities, both academic and social, that are associated with learning and development. ObjectivesTo measure undergraduate nursing students' term-time employment commitments and the impact of those commitments on nursing students' engagement. DesignCross-sectional survey design. SettingsFour Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in the Republic of Ireland - comprising of two Universities and two Institutes of Technology. ParticipantsFirst and final year undergraduate students (n = 634) enrolled in a four-year Bachelor of Science Nursing (honours degree). MethodsThe College Student Report – National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) self-report questionnaire was utilised. This collects data on core activities associated with student engagement along with how students spend their time in and out of class. The statistical software package SPSS version 21 was used to analyse data. ResultsOver two-thirds of undergraduate nursing students (n = 423) engaged in term-time employment, working on average 15 h per week, with non-traditional students (i.e. mature-aged, those with children, those who did not enter college based on second level school results) working most hours. Term-time employment had limited impact on student engagement, however, students in employment had increased student faculty interaction compared to students who were not employed but engaged in less time studying (Mean = 7.2, SD 5.9) than those who were employed (Mean = 8.7, SD = 7.6; t(316) = 2.46; p = .014). ConclusionsOverall, engaging in term-time employment was not negatively associated with student engagement, but it did reduce the number of hours students studied. Non-traditional students were more likely to be employed and consequently impacted by combining work and educational demands.

Success Factors that Shape Black Male Transfer and Academic Experiences in Engineering

ABSTRACT Although many Black male students begin their collegiate experience at community colleges, a greater understanding of their four-year transfer experience is needed. This qualitative narrative study critically explores pathways of Black male engineering students who transferred from community colleges to four-year research-extensive institutions. The following research question guided the study: How do personal, social, and environmental factors shape the transfer experiences of Black male engineering students who attend four-year institutions? Thirteen engineering students between the ages of 21 and 56, with a mean age of 26 years, were selected for semi-structured interviews. Complementary data from online demographic surveys, researcher observation guides, memos, and field notes were obtained. The researcher used the constant comparative method to analyze and interpret data. Findings indicate that collaborative interactions within engineering communities of practice, especially with other transfer students, foster the development of Black male transfer students’ engineering mind-sets and complex problem-solving skills. Study habits and/or peer-led study groups established at community colleges translated to the four-year institution, influencing engineering student-success and enhancing knowledge through communities of practice. Lastly, participants’ responses suggest that faculty and staff interactions can influence their academic, social and professional experiences on campus. This study suggests the importance of communities of practice in the development of Black male transfer students’ engineering career at four-year institutions.

Experimental evidence for a first-year experience course plus mentoring on moderate-income university students’ engagement, achievement, and persistence

ABSTRACT Colleges and universities are paying increasing attention to students’ transition into post-secondary education, including the provision of support to freshmen through structured First-Year Experiences (FYEs). Although low- and-moderate-income students are participating in post-secondary education at increased rates, their performance remains behind that of affluent students. We evaluated the effects of a two-arm experimental-assignment treatment for low- and moderate-income U.S. students eligible for Federal Pell grants at a four-year high-research university (N = 178): 57 control condition, 61 in professional learning communities, 60 in community mentoring, with computerized random assignment conducted by an external evaluator. The intensive (3 credit) two-semester research-based FYE plus mentoring program showed no effect on students’ GPA or likelihood of good academic status, probation, or year two persistence. The treated students also showed no differences in fall-to-spring growth or spring level for non-cognitive measures, including academic engagement, amotivation, peer interaction, faculty interaction, and staff interaction. The null findings are consistent across unadjusted treatment-control comparisons, multivariate regression analyses for continuous outcomes, and logistic, probit, or linear analyses of dichotomous outcomes. Our findings have implications for generalizability about FYE effectiveness for low- and moderate-income students and for the design characteristics of FYE programing to reliably improve student outcomes.

The student–faculty interaction beyond the formal curriculum in South Korea

AbstractThe purpose of this study was to identify and categorise factors that hinder Korean college student‐faculty interaction. Twenty‐one college students who had advising experience with faculty were interviewed. Concept mapping was used to collect, organise and interpret qualitative data through quantitative techniques. These factors were recorded on index cards, and 21 participants returned and sorted these statements into self‐defined, conceptually homogeneous categories. As a result, 45 common factors were elicited and reliably organised into four clusters, with hierarchical relationship with the faculty member (Cluster 1), time constraints (Cluster 2), doubt about (academic, personal and career) benefits of interaction (Cluster 3) and a lack of recognition of necessity (Cluster 4). According to the ratings, the most important cluster was ‘doubt about benefits of interaction’, and participants rated the ‘lack of recognition of necessity’ as the cluster most similar to their own experiences.

What do students engage with the most? A comparative study between high and low achieving students within online learning environments

ABSTRACT The purpose of the study was to explore the difference in student engagement between high achieving and low achieving senior undergraduate students who took all their courses entirely online at United States (US) higher education institutions. It aims to evaluate student engagement variables and compare them with student achievement to help instructors and institutions detect areas for improvement in student engagement that might impact student learning and achievement. This study analysed data collected from undergraduate senior-level students who responded to the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) in the academic year of 2015/2016. Seven variables of student engagement were analysed. Results of the study show that high achieving students were significantly higher than low achieving students in higher-order learning, reflective and integrative learning, learning strategies, quantitative reasoning, and effective teaching practices. However, low achieving students were significantly higher than high achieving students in student–faculty interaction. No significant differences were found in collaborative learning.

Nursing students’ experiences of faculty incivility: A qualitative exploratory study

Background & Aim: Academic incivility has a common problem in academic settings including nursing schools. The aim of the present study was to explore nursing students’ experiences of faculty incivility. Methods & Materials: This was a conventional qualitative content analysis approach. Fourteen bachelor’s nursing students were purposefully recruited from two faculty of nursing in, Karaj, Iran. Data were gathered through semi-structured interviews and analyzed via the conventional content analysis. Results: We derived two main categories from students’ experiences; “hidden faculty incivility” and “obvious faculty incivility”. Hidden incivility contained four subcategories, includes lack of mastery over the subject matter, inattentiveness to the learning climate of the class, inability to manage the class, and unfair evaluation. Obvious incivility also included the three subcategories of speech-behavior contradiction, authoritative behavior, and unconventional behavior. Conclusion: This study suggests that faculty incivility can have various aspects and beyond obvious offensive behaviors which mainly pertains to faculty interaction and teaching skills. Nursing faculties and nursing education authorities need to acquire adequate knowledge about the different aspects of faculty incivility and employ strategies for its prevention and alleviation.

Shaping College Students’ Civic Attitudes Through Faculty Teaching Practices and Student-Faculty Interactions

Using data from the Wabash National Study of Liberal Arts Education, this study examined the relationship between several faculty practices and interactions with students and students’ civic engagement attitudes. Several faculty practices were associated with positive civic attitudes, including frequency of student–faculty contact, use of cooperative learning classroom activities, use of course content that helps students see connections between intended careers and how they affect society, and use of course content that helps students understand the historical, political, and social connections of past events. Implications for institutional policy and practice are discussed.

The Evolution of the Malate Dehydrogenase CUREs Community

The Malate Dehydrogenase CUREs Community, MCC, was founded in 2017, supported by NSF IUSE Funding (NSF 1726932 EHR‐IUSE). The founding member schools (12 diverse institutions including PUI, Research Intensive, Comprehensive, and Community College) met in Summer 2017 to design and implement the first round of MCC CUREs which were taught in Spring 2018. Since then the community has grown and now consists of 23 institutions, (7 research intensive or comprehensive, 4 community college and 12 PUI) teaching MCC CURE classes to approximately 600 students per semester. As the community has grown we have learned that three key aspects of developing and sustaining such a community depend on not only the annual meeting of the group (in person or virtually) but on the availability of a network of colleagues willing to act as a support system for new members who are developing MCC CUREs for their classrooms. First, faculty interactions involve not only sharing of syllabi and written resources but more importantly the willingness to act as a sounding board and troubleshooting mechanism for new faculty participants who are in similar institutional settings. A significant strength of MCC is the breadth and balance of institution types involved. Second, the development of clusters of themed MDH CUREs focusing on specific scientific questions and supported by the development of appropriate biological resources and written background information has proved important for increased faculty and student engagement‐ this year one group of participating classes are engaged in exploration of the role of the flexible loop of Malate Dehydrogenase while another group is focusing on Protein‐Protein Interactions in metabolons and the regulation of these interactions by post translational modifications. Finally, the use of virtual meetings, of classes, and of participating faculty appears to energize students enhancing their ownership of the projects as well as providing a further resource for new faculty in the consortium. The faculty, like our students, progress from novice to expert on aspects of the project that they may be less familiar with. For example, the ability of the community to hold virtual PyMol tutorials significantly lowers the barrier for faculty less familiar with molecular visualization. In summary, what we learned during the initial phases of the project has contributed significantly to both the expansion of MCC and the sustainability of our classroom activities helping to provide CURE experiences for an increasingly diverse pool of students.Support or Funding InformationSupported by NSF 1726932 EHR‐IUSE

Using a Facebook group to facilitate faculty-student interactions during preclinical medical education: a retrospective survey analysis

BackgroundStrong learner-teacher relationships are associated with more successful learning outcomes. With shortened modular curricula and increased availability of online resources, fostering faculty interaction with preclinical medical students has become more challenging. We sought to enhance learner-teacher relationships by engaging in discussion with preclinical medical students in their own online space.MethodsWe utilized a closed Facebook discussion group, where faculty and students voluntarily joined in informal discussions and shared announcements related to their courses. The closed discussion group allowed only participating students and faculty to see others’ posts within the group. This provided a platform to freely interact within the confines of the group while maintaining privacy for the personal Facebook accounts of both faculty and students. We utilized the discussion group through three separate organ system-based modules for 14 weeks. Afterward, students were asked to complete an anonymous, voluntary online survey about their experience.Results94.1% (160/170) of enrolled second-year medical students joined the voluntary FB discussion group. There were 214 posts, 628 comments, and 4166 reactions in this discussion group during the three modules. Of the students in the group, 74.4% (119/160) responded to the online survey. Overall, students strongly agreed that the Facebook discussion group fostered better rapport with faculty, helped content learning, and improved emotional well-being. Also, they felt more comfortable seeking academic help after using the discussion group. They reported a slight preference for Facebook over email as a medium for asking questions, but no preference for either as a medium for distributing announcements. Students overwhelmingly recommended that the discussion group should be continued in future years.ConclusionThe Facebook discussion group was a free, efficient, and effective method of cultivating the learner-teacher relationship with the preclinical medical students, resulting in reported enhancement of learning and morale.