Faculty Perceptions Research Articles

STUDENTS AND FACULTY LEVEL OF KNOWLEDGE AND AWARENESS OF DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP IN DISTANCE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

COVID-19 pandemic has changed the education landscape and increased the acceptance and adoption of distance educations by both individuals and academic institutions. The rise in e-learning and distance education and the increased access to the Internet and learning technology, it becomes critical that provide positive, safe, legal, and ethical behavioural online. While COVID 19 acerated the use and adoption of online learning, it also highlighted the importance of fostering effective digital citizenship given the level of misinformation and conspiracy theories generated spread on the Internet and social media about the pandemic. In this study, the researcher examined the students and faculty perception of digital citizenship practices in distance learning environments at Al-Quds Open University. The study used a mix method approach with 8 faculty participating in the qualitative interview and 559 students participating in the quantitative survey. The study's findings revealed that while students and teachers were aware of digital citizenship principles, they lacked in-depth understanding and knowledge of topics like digital rights, digital security, and digital ethics. Faculty and students both believed that digital citizenship is vital and required for protecting students' privacy and cultivating ethical technology use. Students and faculty both agreed on the importance of incorporating digital citizenship skills like digital rights, digital security, and digital ethics within e-learning curricula.

Sustainability teaching in higher education: assessing arts and design faculty perceptions and attitudes

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine the perceptions and attitudes of arts and design faculty on teaching sustainability in higher education institutions in the USA. Design/methodology/approach Arts and design faculty from nine universities in the USA were approached for the study, using both closed and open-ended questions in a survey instrument. Descriptive statistics and content analysis were used to analyze the collected data. Findings Results related to arts and design faculty’s perception of sustainability showed high confidence in teaching sustainability but lower confidence in inspiring students to take action on sustainability issues. Faculty also perceived time, resources, knowledge and support as barriers to the integration of the topic into the curriculum. This study revealed that the faculty’s attitude toward sustainability demonstrated their recognition that sustainability should be at the core of their discipline and that they support its integration into courses. Research limitations/implications This study is limited to arts and design faculty in higher education institutions in the USA. The results may not be generalizable to other fields or locations. In addition, the use of self-reported data may be subject to bias. Practical implications The findings of this study can inform the development of curriculum and pedagogy in arts and design sustainability education. It can also guide institutions in addressing the challenges and barriers related to incorporating sustainability into their curriculum. Social implications Prioritizing sustainability education is crucial in addressing global climate change and related issues. Art and design educators’ perspectives on teaching sustainability can contribute to constructing a sustainable future for everyone. Originality/value This study provides insight into the perception and attitude of sustainability among arts and design faculty in higher education in the USA and highlights areas for improvement such as training and resources to better integrate sustainability into the curriculum.

Do we teach critical thinking? A mixed methods study of faculty and student perceptions of teaching and learning critical thinking at three professional schools

Introduction Critical thinking (CT) is an essential set of skills and dispositions for professionals. While viewed as an important part of professional education, approaches to teaching and assessing critical thinking have been siloed within disciplines and there are limited data on whether student perceptions of learning align with faculty perceptions of teaching. Materials and methods The authors used a convergent mixed methods approach in required core courses in schools of education, government, and medicine at one university in the Northeast United States. Faculty surveys and student focus groups (FG) addressed definitions, strategies, and barriers to teaching CT. Results and conclusions Sixty-four (51.6%) faculty completed the survey, and 34 students participated in FGs. Among faculty, 54.0% (34/63) reported explicitly teaching CT; but students suggested teaching CT was predominantly implicit. Faculty-reported strategies differed among schools. Faculty defined CT in process terms such as ‘analyzing’; students defined CT in terms of viewpoints and biases. Our results reveal a lack of explicit, shared CT mental models between faculty and students and across professional schools. Explicit teaching of CT may help develop a shared language and lead to better understanding and application of the skills and dispositions necessary to succeed in professional life.

Examining Faculty Perspectives on the Role and Value of Intercollegiate Athletics

The uneasy marriage of higher education and athletics can be seen through the conceptual lenses of former institution and National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) President Myles Brand’s Standard or Integrated View. The Standard View maintains that athletics serves as a business while the Integrated View argues that athletics should be appreciated as a form of education and art. Through these perspectives of athletics as a business, education, and art, this study surveyed faculty at one football bowl subdivision institution (n = 216) on their perceptions of athletics. Analyses demonstrated faculty perceptions were varied and contradictory as they noted athletics was simultaneously a business important for their institution, but also a detractor for higher education at large. Additionally, they perceived some developmental benefits of participation in athletics but still did not believe sports to be educational in nature. Implications for better understanding faculty perceptions of athletics while improving the education-sport marriage are discussed.

THE ROLE AND CHALLENGES OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION

This paper examines the increasing role of artificial intelligence (AI) in information technology (IT) higher education and the key opportunities and challenges associated with its adoption. A review of 75-100 research studies published during 2016-2022 and industry perspectives reveals AI’s effectiveness in improving learning outcomes through personalized, adaptive systems. However, integrating AI also poses risks regarding transparency, accountability, automation, biases, accessibility, and ethical impacts. Faculty perceptions, technology readiness, curriculum reform needs, and policy implications are analyzed under a conceptual framework integrating technology adoption and AI ethics theories. Qualitative methodology entails literature analysis to highlight AI’s advantages in optimizing human teaching efforts while weighing concerns around dehumanization, data privacy, and disempowerment. Balanced policies and practices focused on developing students’ AI competencies alongside critical thinking abilities are recommended to harness AI’s potential equitably and ethically. Deliberate efforts are needed to engineer inclusion into AI systems and uphold transparency in automated decision-making. The study informs strategies for readying IT students to responsibly apply AI tools to augment human capabilities.

Faculty Perceptions of Online Instruction and Educational Technology in Higher Education

The purpose of this research was to obtain faculty perceptions of online instruction and educational technology in higher education. Data was collected from eight participants through interviews and open-ended questions at a higher education institution. Results showed that faculty consider that online instruction is only possible for certain programs and that it’s only for certain student populations. In addition, faculty perceive online learning environments as a repository for class information and serve as a communication medium between instructor and student. Furthermore, faculty believe that there is no substitution for traditional teaching methods regardless of the educational technology available. Theoretical and practical implications of the results are discussed.

Assessment, credential, or both? Higher education faculty’s design principles for micro-credentials

The rise of small, skills-focused credentials, also known as micro-credentials, has garnered considerable attention in recent years. By offering micro-credentials, institutions of higher education can provide additional credential options, thereby attracting more diverse audiences beyond degree-seekers. However, amidst their growth, fundamental questions surrounding their effective design and pedagogical implementation remain. This lack of clarity may inadvertently hinder their effectiveness. To address this gap, there is a need for studies that examine the perspectives and practices of faculty involved in micro-credential development and delivery. This study employed a single-embedded case design to investigate the perceptions and practices of faculty members who implemented micro-credentials for a pilot program at a large public research university. Specifically, this study aimed to identify faculty perceptions of the assessment and credentialing affordances of micro-credentials, and strategies employed to integrate these affordances into the design of micro-credentials. In-depth interviews were conducted with faculty members representing a diverse array of academic disciplines. Findings revealed that faculty need support in recognizing and integrating certain characteristics of quality assessments when designing micro-credentials, including aligning of assessments with a micro-credential’s delivery method, and integrating equity-oriented assessments into the design. These findings underscore the necessity for interventions and training programs aimed at integrating quality assessment practices into micro-credential design.

Gender Differences in Faculty Perceptions of Mentorship and Sponsorship

This survey study examines gender differences in mid- to senior-career faculty experiences of receiving and providing mentorship and sponsorship during early career development.

Readiness to Teach and Learn in College: Faculty and Adult Learner Perspectives

This study was designed to explore perceptions of faculty and adult learner readiness to teach and learn in undergraduate gateway courses. Both faculty and adult students perceived that experience contributed to their readiness. However, they disagreed about the adequacy and quality of each other’s experience. Faculty felt that their academic credentials and teaching experience of any kind readied them to teach adult students. Learners perceived that instructors who were not adult-focused were not ready to teach gateway courses despite being knowledgeable in the course content. A second mismatch in perceptions involved the stress faculty placed on the importance of foundational skills as opposed to that of the learners, who felt that their work and life experiences, coupled with motivation to learn, made them academically ready to succeed in most subject areas. Findings suggest that readiness is fluid, situational, and needs to be reinforced and renewed.

Embedded Remediation in Journalism & Mass Communication: Exploring Faculty Perceptions of an Experiential Approach

Little research exists about embedded remediation (ER) in college journalism and mass communication (JMC) programs. ER could support students who are underprepared for college-level writing. Because ER would affect faculty’s professional practice, this study explored its feasibility by investigating JMC faculty perceptions of ER and its feasibility. Qualitative inquiry via focus groups with a purposeful sample ( n = 17) was used to explore perceptions and barriers to implementation and a conceptual framework including Experiential Learning Theory and the Teaching-for-Learning model was used in analysis. Four themes were identified: (a) growing concerns, (b) externalizing remediation, (c) institutional challenges, and (d) taking action.

A National Survey of Perceptions Around Conditions Associated With Pharmacy Faculty Workload Equity

ObjectiveTo assess pharmacy faculty members’ perceptions of conditions associated with workload equity and factors that can improve workload equity. MethodsA 26-item survey instrument was developed and distributed via email to members of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy Council of Faculties. Questions pertained to the workload distribution, fairness in assignment, and perception of the conditions associated with workload equity (transparency, context, credit, clarity, norms, and accountability) as well as institutional and individual demographics. ResultsA total of 662 responses were obtained (response rate 15.9%). Respondents’ demographics were comparable to available national data. Approximately 41% of respondents reported their institutions did not have a written faculty workload policy. Most respondents reported their workload assignment was fair (highest with research/scholarship) but reported only moderate alignment between assigned and actual workloads. The rating level for what domains the primary decision maker uses to assign workload was highest for context, followed by credit, clarity, and transparency. Transparency was reported as the most needed condition to improve faculty perception of workload equity. Respondents also rated increasing trust between leadership and faculty and increasing productivity and accountability as the most important reasons to minimize workload inequities. ConclusionThis was the first national survey of pharmacy faculty perceptions around the conditions associated with workload equity. Though additional research is needed in this area, programs can work to implement strategies associated with all of the conditions, particularly transparency, to improve faculty perceptions of equity.

Graduate Nursing Faculty Perceptions of LGBTQ+ Health Curriculum: A Mixed-Methods Study.

The lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) community experiences profound health disparities due to discrimination and lack of health care provider knowledge. Although data exist about undergraduate nursing and medical school education on LGBTQ+ topics, there is a gap in understanding graduate nursing schools' preparation of nurse practitioners. A survey measuring faculty perceptions of LGBTQ+ health curricula was sent to graduate nursing schools to collect both qualitative and quantitative data. Graduate nursing faculty spent a median of 3 hours teaching LGBTQ+ health topics. LGBTQ+ health content in their courses was limited despite their awareness of LGBTQ+ topics, their readiness to include it, and their belief in the importance of including such topics. Respondents indicated a lack of resources and knowledge about where to start and identified a need for support from their institution. The gaps identified in graduate nursing LGBTQ+ health curriculum demonstrate the need for additional institutional support. [J Nurs Educ. 2024;63(2):65-71.].

Workforce Diversity at Work: Exploring Ethnicity as Moderating in Age and Performance

It’s critical to promote workplace employee diversity, as it empowers various workforces and improves teamwork. Adopting employee diversity fosters a positive work atmosphere that encourages employee creativity and productivity. Based on this background, the aim of the study was to understand teaching faculty perceptions of age, ethnicity, and performance and to analyse the moderating effect of ethnicity on age and performance. The study was objective in nature, focusing on private colleges in the Kathmandu Valley of Nepal to select teaching faculty. A cross-sectional design was adopted, ensuring a snapshot of data collection. Consent and privacy were maintained throughout the study, respecting participants' confidentiality. The study identifies ethnicity as a moderating factor between age and performance, where age and ethnicity separately enhance performance but ethnicity as a moderating factor interacts negatively. While age has a positive relationship with performance, ethnicity as a moderator displays a subtle yet significant negative impact on job performance. Colleges must address both the advantages of age diversity and the ethnic imbalances in order to encourage equal opportunities and boost overall productivity.

Barriers to and facilitators of accelerated BSN students' success: a scoping review with possible strategies for success.

This scoping review aims to map the evidence on barriers and facilitators of success with accelerated BSN (ABSN) students with the inclusion of faculty perspectives. We followed the scoping review methodology of the Joanna Briggs Institute for this review. The databases of CINAHL, PubMed, ProQuest, and Google Scholar were searched. The search resulted in 39 studies. The identified barriers were: Academic factors, non-academic factors, challenges faced by non-native English-speaking and ethnically diverse students, socialization struggles, and faculty perceptions. The facilitators identified were: Supportive environment and practices, benefits of ABSN program completion, students' background and life experiences, innovative learning strategies and school resources, and faculty perceptions. Given the global nature of the ABSN program now, findings from this scoping review and the strategies for success addressed in discussion will inform ABSN faculty and program managers about helpful strategies to support students' needs.

Exploring Quality and Requirements in Faculty Development Related to Teaching.

Little is known about medical school requirements for faculty development related to teaching (FDT) in medical education. This study examined the national landscape and local faculty perceptions of their own institution's FDT requirement. An electronic survey was disseminated to Faculty Affairs Offices in US medical schools to assess FDT requirements. A second survey was distributed to faculty within one medical school to gauge faculty perceptions related to existing FDT requirements. Responses were received from approximately 33% of US medical schools and 36% of local faculty. Few responding medical schools had formal FDT requirements. There was a wide range variation of hours and activities necessary to satisfy existing requirements and consequences for noncompliance. For respondents from schools that did not have a requirement, many saw value in considering a future requirement. Many local faculty agreed that the FDT requirement improved their teaching skills. When asked to share other thoughts about the FDT requirement, several qualitative themes emerged. This study helps establish a national benchmark for the status of FDT requirements in medical education and revealed information on how to optimize and/or improve such requirements. The authors offer five recommendations for schools to consider regarding FDT.

Perceptions of Professionals, Faculty, and Students Regarding the Implementation of an Agricultural Communications Degree Program in the United Kingdom

Perceptions of Professionals, Faculty, and Students Regarding the Implementation of an Agricultural Communications Degree Program in the United Kingdom

Developing and Validating the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Antiracism Faculty Perceptions of College Climate (DEIA FPCC) Scale in Pharmacy Faculty

ObjectiveThis work’s objective was to demonstrate acceptable reliability and consistency within and across each domain of the survey tool. MethodsA survey with 16 questions was distributed to faculty from the AACP membership list and contained 4 domains: DEIA. The survey responses were analyzed using factor analysis and reliability analysis. ResultsA total of 877 subjects’ responses met inclusion criteria and were used in the analysis. The results demonstrated that the survey had high reliability and discriminating validity within each domain and overall as a scale. ConclusionThe finalized tool provides a practical, standardized measure to evaluate faculty perceptions of DEIA efforts in institutions of pharmacy education. This tool can help identify areas of improvement and guide the advancement of DEIA initiatives in colleges of pharmacy. Further research is needed to validate the survey in other populations. Future efforts will also explore predictors of survey scores.

Lecturers Perception Of Plagiarism Among Undergraduates In Nigeria

The advent of the internet and the ensuing free access to increasingly available information resources and possibilities for students’ ‘copying and pasting’ text from online documents has raised so much concern. There is therefore a growing need for lecturers to address the underlying causes. Thus, this study examines faculty perception of plagiarism among Undergraduates. The study adopted a survey research design. A simple and total enumeration sampling techniques was adopted to cover all the entire lecturers in the faculty of education, Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE). The instrument use for data collection was the questionnaire titled “Faculty Perception of Plagiarism among Undergraduates’’ (FPPU). Reliability and validity test was conducted on the instrument. A total of 63 copies of questionnaire (97%) were returned and found usable. Data collected were analyzed with the use of descriptive analysis. The findings shows that the reasons for plagiarism among undergraduates includes students laziness (mean=3.44), easy access to materials via the internet (mean=3.27) and not understanding the rules of referencing (mean= 3.27). However, lecturers perception of plagiarism among undergraduates indicates that undergraduates copying of few paragraph of an essay from books without citation (mean= 3.48). Furthermore, lecturers put up some strategies in detecting plagiarize work which includes; using the library shelves to provide evidence (mean =1.84), using specialized plagiarism detecting tools (mean= 1.40), and using online searching tools to provide evidence (mean= 1.38). Consequences for plagiarism among undergraduates include; scoring the students 0% on the assignment (mean= 1.56) and cannot attend classes for a specific amount of time (mean = 1.81). The study therefore, concluded that lecturers understand the offence of plagiarism and therefore have some punitive measures towards the act of plagiarism. It was further recommended that undergraduates should be enlightened adequately on research methodology courses to be taught at various levels of study and handled by experienced lecturers.

Perception of dental students and faculty regarding the practice of professionalism in dentistry using the Professionalism Mini Evaluation Exercise (P-MEX).

Professionalism is one of the fundamental traits which includes behaviors, commitments, standards, and goals that helps define a profession. This study aimed to assess the attitude of dental students and graduates regarding the practice of professionalism in dentistry using the Professionalism Mini Evaluation Exercise (P-MEX) questionnaire. This cross-sectional study was conducted amongst the dental undergraduates, lecturers and postgraduate faculty. Views regarding professionalism were assessed using the P-MEX. The 24-questions based survey form is comprised of questions related to doctor and patient relationship skills, reflective abilities, time management, and lastly, interprofessional relationship expertise. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 23. Descriptive statistics were done using mean and SD, whilst associations between responses were assessed using Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis tests. P value less than 0.05 was considered significant. From a total of 201 participants, 95 (47.3%) were males and 106 (52.7%) were females. Statistically significant association was seen between time management, reflective skills, and interpersonal skills with gender, as well as the domains of P-MEX and years of education. The use of P-MEX provides a valid confirmation for the assessment and awareness of professionalism amongst the dental faculty and students. Females demonstrated higher traits of professionalism as compared to males. The findings from the current study identify that students and faculty members had sufficient awareness regarding professionalism and the practice of professionalism was routinely followed.

“What Do We Have to Do?” Community College CTE Faculty Perceptions, Preparedness, and Propositions in Supporting Disabled Students’ Employment Opportunities

Objective/Research Question: The purpose of this grounded theory study is to explore how community college CTE faculty members aim to support disabled students in their career pursuits. Methods: This constructivist grounded theory study entailed interviewing 20 faculty members across two southeastern United States community colleges. Results: Findings unveil the prominence of community college faculty holding mixed perceptions and limited understandings of disabled individuals’ experiences in CTE fields, tending to weed disabled students out of these professions, and possessing various ideas for how to better enable disabled students’ success, including bolstering disability awareness and acceptance. Conclusions/Contributions. These insights contribute to the formation of the 3Ps Model of Faculty Professional Engagement with Minoritized Students that will guide researchers in how to understand the processes that shape faculty engagement with minoritized students. The study also reveals opportunities for growth in how community college faculty and practitioners address issues surrounding building up disabled community college students’ employment pathways.