Faculty Motivation Research Articles

Gender differences in perceptions of leadership and their influence on motivation among faculty members of Taif University

This study investigates gender differences in perceptions of leadership styles and their impact on faculty motivation at Taif University, Saudi Arabia, within the context of Islamic higher education. Utilizing a quantitative research method approach, the researcher gathered survey responses from 74 faculty members at Taif University. The investigation focused on three main areas: the significant gender differences in perceptions of leadership styles among faculty members at Taif University; the tendency of female faculty members to perceive transformational leadership styles more positively than their male counterparts; and the more favorable response of male faculty members to transactional leadership styles compared to female faculty members. The results of this study revealed significant gender differences, with female faculty members showing a preference for transformational leadership, while male faculty members responded more positively to transactional leadership. By adopting these findings, leaders at Taif University can participate positively on faculty members' motivation. In addition to that leadership practices can move toward sustainability, ensuring the continuous development of faculty, students, and resources. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of gender-based perceptions of leadership in an Islamic higher education setting and offer strategies for enhancing faculty motivation through tailored leadership approaches.

Advocacy Skill Development in Public Health Education Curriculum: A Pilot Study.

The National Commission for Health Education Credentialing (NCHEC) released updated Responsibilities and Competencies for Health Education Specialists based on the 2020 HESPA II. For the first time, advocacy is a standalone area of responsibility (Area V: Advocacy) for health education specialists. Although this is exciting for the field of health education, there is limited consensus on how to effectively teach advocacy or what content and skills to include. Furthermore, while the HESPA II was updated, the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) criteria for advocacy have not been. This pilot study examined how CEPH-accredited programs in the United States are addressing the profession-wide advocacy competency in their health education curricula. A cross-sectional research design with single-point data collection was used to assess how CEPH-accredited university programs (including Standalone Baccalaureate Programs, Public Health Programs, and Schools of Public Health) are preparing health education students to meet the national advocacy responsibility. The survey included items from the Advocacy Area of Responsibility and potential barriers for faculty teaching advocacy. Results indicate that most programs are teaching something about advocacy, but there is no program teaching all listed sub-competencies. Barriers to including all components of the advocacy responsibility were largely related to faculty motivation, knowledge, and time. With a full responsibility area devoted to advocacy, it is reasonable to expect that programs will adjust with the profession. However, program administrators must be catalysts for these changes in their individual programs.

Transformational Leadership in Muhammadiyah Association for Community Growth

Background: Transformational leadership is vital in educational settings, focusing on inspiring members to enhance performance. Specific Background: At Universitas Muhammadiyah Sidoarjo, key leaders, including the Rector, play a crucial role in creating an effective academic environment. Knowledge Gap: There is limited empirical evidence on the impact of transformational leadership on organizational performance and faculty motivation in this context. Aims: This study investigates the characteristics and effects of transformational leadership, emphasizing individualized consideration and motivational strategies. Results: The findings reveal that the Rector's leadership positively influences faculty motivation and recognition, illustrated by rewards like Umrah allowances. Novelty: This research enriches existing literature by analyzing transformational leadership within a specific educational framework. Implications: The study highlights the significance of leader recognition in higher education, suggesting that transformational practices can enhance faculty performance and promote a culture of excellence. Highlights : Impact on Motivation: Transformational leadership enhances faculty motivation through recognition and rewards. Leadership Characteristics: The Rector exemplifies individualized consideration, actively supporting faculty development. Cultural Improvement: Effective leadership fosters a culture of excellence and innovation within the institution. Keywords: transformational leadership, Muhammadiyah, faculty motivation, individualized consideration, higher education

Held Captive and Told to Play

Research has demonstrated the need to prepare higher education faculty for transitioning from in-person to online modality. Researchers note the need to train faculty in course design, building classroom community, and establishing a teaching presence, among other things. This paper describes a professor’s participation in a university-funded professional development programme that aimed to boost quality in instructional design and result in rapid deployment of online courses. The programme required the professor to enrol in a foundation course in online teaching during the Summer 2023 semester and to transition two doctoral courses to online modality in time for the Fall 2023 semester. The foundation course focused on course design, accessibility, instructional roles, community, and more. Keys to the successful transition were the incentive offered by the university, one-on-one support for assisting with building the course in the learning management system, the 10-week immersion with a focus on course design, and being given time to play with new technologies. Other important takeaways from the summer experience are described. These meaningful practices for professional development may be useful to universities as they consider how best to enhance online teaching and learning, especially faculty motivation and training.

Modernization of the Motivation Systems in Higher Education: Challenges and Digital Solutions

The motivation of academic staff in higher education institutions has become a critical issue, particularly in the context of rapid digital transformation. Faculty motivation is a crucial factor influencing the quality of education, research productivity, and the performance of universities. This study aimed to identify the main factors influencing motivation and to develop recommendations for educational institutions to enhance staff motivation. The research utilized bibliometric analysis through the VOSviewer program to explore relationships between core motivational factors. Initial data were collected via the ePORTAL system, which aggregates comprehensive information about faculty activities, including publications, participation in scientific projects, and teaching performance. The findings suggest that the current motivational systems in Kazakhstan's higher education institutions require significant modernization. Key challenges include insufficient financial support, excessive bureaucratic procedures, and limited career development opportunities. Moreover, adopting digital tools like ePORTAL can enhance the transparency and objectivity of assessing teaching staff performance, providing more substantial incentives for professional growth. The study offers recommendations for university management of educational institutions to increase academic staff motivation that can be adapted to each educational institution's unique profile and priorities. Future research should investigate the long-term effects of digitalization on teaching quality and explore how motivation strategies can be fine-tuned to address regional and institutional disparities. Such efforts will ensure faculty development aligns with national and international educational standards, ultimately enhancing the competitiveness and effectiveness of universities in a global context.

Interviewing the Interviewers: How Qualitative Professors Assess Interviews in Their Classes

When reviewing the literature relating to what instructors of qualitative research courses are teaching in their courses, we found a gap regarding qualitative faculty's motivations behind what they teach and whether they use teaching tools such as rubrics in their assessment practices. We utilized general qualitative methods to explore and describe how instructors of qualitative methodology courses conceptualize and design interview-based assessments. By conducting structured interviews with five faculty members, we embraced interpretivist descriptive traditions and sought to obtain thick, rich descriptions of each participant’s perspectives and experiences. After coding interview transcripts, we created themes to represent participant beliefs that (a) interview assignments are the most appropriate and comprehensive way to assess knowledge of qualitative research, (b) the design and/or use of rubrics for these assignments is complicated within qualitative coursework, and finally, that (c) thorough feedback is the most important aspect of providing high-quality instruction in qualitative research methods. We then summarize our findings and argue that with creative application and further research, qualitative faculty can benefit from the use rubrics to assess interview assignments in qualitative methods courses.

Let the students be heard – student voices on teaching excellence awards

ABSTRACT Globally, academics are encouraged to facilitate teaching excellence. Many business schools use teaching excellence awards to recognize exceptional efforts toward students’ learning, foster pedagogical innovation, and improve faculty motivation. However, prior literature has noted that many business schools lack clear and transparent criteria for TE awards, which can hinder the process and potentially reduce the motivational effects. Research has yet to fully incorporate student voices across a global setting into the evaluation criterion. As a result, this study seeks to identify universal criteria for TE awards based on a large-scale survey of 2,775 business students across eleven countries and five continents intending to capture global student perspectives. First, we reveal whether the possession of a TE award for an educator has any importance from students’ perspectives. Second, we find that students across the globe have a general agreement regarding the criteria for awarding an excellent educator by identifying 30 criteria for TE awards students noted across our global sample. Third, we reveal 15 criteria that are specific to some countries but not globally. Lastly, we explore the differences in TE award criteria across different study levels. Overall, our study makes a significant contribution by identifying global criteria based on student voice to inform the development of teaching excellence award criteria in business education or by higher education providers and professional bodies.

Pengaruh Kedisiplinan Dosen terhadap Motivasi Belajar Mahasiswa Fakultas Tarbiyah di STAI Balikpapan

This study aims to determine the effect of lecturer discipline on student learning motivation of Tarbiyah faculty at Balikpapan Islamic Religious College. This research uses quantitative approach with a sample of 40 students from a population of 100 active students. Data were collected through questionnaire using Likert scale. The data obtained from the research were processed using simple regression analysis. Based on the result of the research, it can be concluded that there is a significant influence between lecturer's discipline (X) to students' learning motivation (Y). These results can be seen through the t test results obtained a probability value of (0.002). This value is smaller than 0.05, so it can be concluded that there is a significant influence between lecturer discipline and learning motivation.

Social Support Networks and Faculty Motivation: Insights from Tribhuvan University

Study examines the topic of “Social Support Networks and faculty Motivation." The research aims to shed light on the significant factors influencing teachers' motivation within the context of Tribhuvan University. The study employed a quantitative research design, collecting data from a sample of teaching Faculty within the university. The study utilizes regression analysis to show the impact of four variables on the motivation levels of teaching faculty. SPSS 26 was used to analyze the data. The study revealed that family support and faculty-parent collaboration have a strong positive impact on faculty motivation. On the other hand, faculty -community relations and social recognition of faculty had less significant effects. These findings emphasize the importance of family encouragement and partnerships between faculty and parents in boosting faculty motivation. The study suggests that focusing on family support networks and improving teacher-parent cooperation can be effective ways to enhance faculty motivation in Tribhuvan University. Novelty: This research provides a new perspective i.e. Social Recognition, Faculty Community Relation, Faculty Parent Relation, and Family Support by studying the factors that influence faculty motivation specifically at Tribhuvan University.

Leaders' Perspectives on Approaches and Challenges in Enacting Faculty Vitality in the Contemporary Landscape of Academic Medicine: A Deductive Thematic Analysis.

Continual changes in organizational structures within medical schools have contributed to the expanded scope and the centralization of faculty affairs offices, which support faculty administration and supportive functions. Using qualitative interviews, we investigated the perspectives of academic medicine faculty affairs leaders regarding their offices' priorities in sustaining faculty vitality in the face of current and anticipated challenges. A semi-structured interview protocol based on the researchers' practical knowledge, informed by the study's research inquiries, and pertinent academic literature guided the interviews. Deductive thematic analysis approach was used to identify the patterns and themes across the interviews. Our analysis revealed a central theme: the pivotal nature of the leader's role in strengthening faculty identity. Additionally, three sub-themes emerged concerning the leader's role in nurturing faculty well-being within today's academic medicine context: redefining faculty role, acknowledging and appreciating faculty contributions, and maintaining faculty engagement through a whole-person approach. Faculty affairs leaders describe widening roles with an emerging focus on a whole-person approach valuing the diverse contributions of faculty across the academic mission, supporting professional development, reflecting the individual motivations of faculty, and championing institutional processes that holistically evaluate and recognize faculty contributions.

Ten tips to effectively engage community-based preceptors in distributed medical education settings

The effective engagement of community-based preceptors in distributed medical education (DME) settings is an active challenge in medical education. DME is a model of medical education that involves training medical students in multiple, geographically dispersed locations. DME environments include regional medical campuses (RMCs) and rural areas. Preceptors at regional medical campuses (RMCs) and in rural settings have diverse needs that may differ substantially from faculty at central medical campuses. Well-intentioned engagement efforts that fail to understand the unique needs and motivations of community-based faculty can fall short. We present 10 tips for effective engagement of community-based DME faculty. These tips are rooted in the literature and can provide important context for productive faculty engagement in the DME setting.

Teaching motivation, performance, and work productivity of higher education faculty in China: Basis for teacher development plan

Teaching motivation, performance, and work productivity of higher education faculty in China: Basis for teacher development plan

Perspectives from Undergraduate Life Sciences Faculty: Are We Equipped to Effectively Accommodate Students With Disabilities in Our Classrooms?

Higher education has evolved in ways that may increase the challenges life science faculty face in providing accommodations for students with disabilities. Guided by Expectancy-Value Theory, we interviewed 34 life sciences faculty instructors from institutions nationwide to explore faculty motivation to create disability-inclusive educational experiences. We found that faculty in our sample perceive that providing most standard accommodations is a manageable but often challenging task. Further, faculty in our sample feel that improving accommodations necessitates additional support from their institutions. Most faculty had high attainment value for providing accommodations, in that they strongly believed that supporting students with disabilities is the fair and right thing to do. However, faculty did not perceive much utility value or intrinsic value in their task of providing accommodations, and most reported that providing accommodations can be a substantial burden on faculty. These findings imply that current approaches to providing inclusive educational experiences for students with disabilities rely primarily on the personal belief that providing accommodations is the right thing to do, which likely results in a flawed and inequitable system given that not all faculty equally share this conviction.

The Academic System Influence on Instructional Change: A Conceptual Systems Dynamics Model of Faculty Motivation to Adopt Research-Based Instructional Strategies (RBIS)

Many universities have implemented initiatives to drive instructional change, yet their success has often been limited due to a lack of recognition of academia as a complex dynamic system. This paper explores how the interconnected and dynamic nature of academic systems influences faculty motivation to adopt instructional innovations, such as project-based learning (PBL) and small group collaborations (SGCs). We present a Conceptual Systems Dynamics Model (CSDM) that illustrates these interconnections, demonstrating how systemic factors create feedback loops that either reinforce or hinder faculty motivation, as well as other related factors. These loops, represented as Causal Loop Diagrams (CLDs), were derived from literature reviews and qualitative data obtained from interviews and focus groups involving 17 faculty and administrators within an Engineering Department at a research university in South America. The paper identifies thirteen CLDs, comprising seven reinforcing dynamics that positively influence faculty motivation and six balancing dynamics that exert negative pressure. Using empirical evidence and analysis, we describe how the systemic factors influence faculty motivation, and how shifts in motivation reciprocally impact these interconnected factors. By elucidating the complex dynamics at play, this research contributes to a deeper understanding of how to promote sustainable instructional change within academic institutions.

Motivation & work efficacy of MBA course in online teaching mode during and after pandemic

The Covid-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on various sectors worldwide, including education. This research investigates the effects of technology, communication, and administrative support on the motivation and work efficacy of business school teaching faculty engaged in online teaching during the pandemic. A structured questionnaire was distributed among 105 faculty members from business schools in Delhi, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh. Statistical analysis techniques including KMO & Bartlett’s Test, Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), regression analysis, and correlation analysis were employed using IBM SPSS 26.0. The findings reveal that online platforms were highly effective for communication and teaching during the pandemic, contributing to increased motivation and work efficacy among teachers. This study provides valuable insights into the role of technology in crisis education management.

A World Outside the Classroom: Understanding Faculty Perspectives on Electoral Engagement in the Classroom

Colleges and universities serve as vital bridges between the state and citizens, providing fertile ground for nurturing democratic participation among students through the cultivation of civic knowledge, skills, and attitudes collectively known as electoral engagement. However, faculty members, responsible for implementing such initiatives, may not always view electoral engagement as essential to their curriculum. This study explores faculty motivations and reservations regarding electoral engagement in classrooms. Leveraging a novel data set of faculty responses, the research reveals at least two important findings. First, faculty members express greater interest when supported by colleagues, department chairs, and students within their institutions. Second, faculty confidence and past voting behavior influence their interest in electoral engagement initiatives. The article concludes with a brief exploration of how these insights can empower faculty nationwide to effectively nurture students as active contributors to our democratic process.

Considering the Development and Evaluation of Engineers as Teachers

Engineering faculty are required to teach but are rarely trained in evidence-based practices in teaching and learning. While many faculty often mirror how they were taught and slowly develop their curriculum and skills over time, the methods for their development cannot keep pace with the rapidly changing landscape of engineering classrooms. This includes changes in students’ needs, pedagogical advances, and the technology accessible to students. In response to the need for training, development, and continuous improvement of engineering faculty’s teaching beyond the limited feedback that student and peer evaluations provide, our department piloted a program offering 18 different options for teaching development activities. Faculty could choose from these options to enhance their teaching practices. Three focus groups were conducted with a total of 12 faculty participants to iterate and improve upon the piloted program. Qualitative analysis of these focus groups, involving multiple phases of coding and general theming of the focus group transcript data, revealed more than just the faculty’s impressions of the piloted program. Our analysis revealed that two value systems exist when it comes to teaching and teaching development: what is valued personally by a faculty member and what is valued systemically by the department, college, university, or field they work within. The identification of these two distinct value systems revealed that misalignments exist between them. What faculty personally value about their teaching and teaching development might not be valued by the systems in place, and vice versa. We present examples of how faculty discuss these two value systems and explore the implications of conflicting value systems, as well as opportunities for departments to enhance alignment between these value systems to boost faculty motivation for regular engagement with teaching development practices.

Autonomy, competence, and relatedness: unpacking faculty motivation in service-learning

ABSTRACT Service-learning (SL) has gained global popularity for promoting students’ civic engagement and democratic and pluralistic values and impacting faculty and communities. It relies on foundational pillars (the 4 Rs): respect, reciprocity, relevance, and reflexivity. While the drivers of faculty motivation have received attention from researchers, a gap remains in understanding what sustains their motivation and engagement over time. This study aims to address this gap by exploring the perspectives of a group of European scholars through the lens of Self-Determination Theory. A hybrid thematic analysis was employed to analyze the 22 semi-structured interviews collected in 14 European countries. The findings reveal that SL exerts a transformative influence on the community, students, faculty, and higher education institutions, nurturing a heightened sense of competence among faculty members. Institutionalization is a pivotal factor in sustaining and rewarding engaged faculty scholarship, enabling autonomy in academic roles, and aligning personal values with institutional endeavors. Finally, the community experience within SL fosters positive connections with colleagues and communities at local, national, and international levels. As a result, this study introduces a fifth foundational pillar, extending the existing 4 Rs model: relatedness. Future research directions and implications are proposed.

Unleashing excellence: using a project management approach to effectively implement a simulation curriculum to improve residents’ preparedness

BackgroundIntegrating innovative, simulation-based training programs into medical curricula frequently encounters familiar challenges, including scepticism, limited faculty time, and financial constraints. Recognized for its success in business projects, the Harvard Project Management Theory emerges as a promising approach to optimizing the implementation process and achieving sustainable success. This study endeavours to elucidate the application of project management theory in our implementation process and assess its impact on the clinical preparedness of novice residents.MethodsThe research utilized a structured four-phase implementation strategy—Planning, Build-up, Execution, and Closing—to develop a simulation-based education curriculum. Incorporating project management tools like project charters and risk management tools played a crucial role in facilitating the effective implementation of standardized processes and improved clinical outcomes. Essential components of this innovative management approach encompass stakeholder engagement, milestone definition, and the alignment of institutional policies and processes.ResultsA collective of 395 residents actively engaged in eight monthly simulation-based events, reflecting an average participation rate of 39 residents per lecture (± 19). A noteworthy enhancement was observed in the average rating for knowledge gain, with a significant improvement from 5.9/10 to 8.8/10 (p = 0.0001). Participants highlighted the program’s considerable impact on future clinical practice (4.7/5) and teamwork (4.8/5) as particularly valuable aspects. The introduction of a novel organizational structure received favourable feedback from faculty members, with a notable rating of 4.8/5 for predictive time planning. Qualitative insights from the evaluation highlighted the significance of targeted incentive schemes in optimizing the implementation process.ConclusionThis project underscores the constructive influence of project management principles in designing simulation-based curricula, explicitly focusing on stakeholder engagement, faculty motivation, and data utilization. Adopting the Harvard Project Management Approach emerges as a catalyst for heightened success in curriculum design, contributing to enhanced emergency preparedness among novice residents. The positive outcomes observed in this study provide valuable insights for future implementations, offering a foundation for refining and optimizing medical education programs to meet the evolving needs of learners and stakeholders alike.

Surfing the fourth wave: An examination of faculty motivation(s) to participate in SoTL

AbstractThe purpose of this survey‐based research study was to assess factors that higher education faculty identify as enabling and inhibiting their participation in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) across multiple U.S‐based institutions of higher education. Within the current “fourth wave” of SoTL, we identify the need for differentiated strategies to facilitate the participation of a wider range of faculty in emerging questions of teaching, learning, and scholarship.