Faculty Perspectives Research Articles

Survey of Faculty Perspectives, Actions, and Barriers to Culturally Responsive Mentorship

Survey of Faculty Perspectives, Actions, and Barriers to Culturally Responsive Mentorship

Examens cycliques de programmes dans les établissements d’enseignement post-secondaire : le temps et les efforts sont-ils justifiables?

Cyclical program reviews (CPRs), also called periodic or academic reviews at institutions of higher education, are undertaken to ensure that academic programs meet a variety of objectives related to teaching and learning, as well as professional credentialing, quality assurance, and institutional requirements. Preparing, reviewing, and implementing a CPR requires significant time and effort for those assigned to this task, especially if the program has never previously been through a CPR. Much has been written on how to undertake a CPR (Bresciani, 2006), what measures are useful in assessing programs (Jayachandran et al., 2019), and some of the problems that external reviewers encounter with CPRs (Halonen & Dunn, 2017). This article, however, provides new insights concerning important considerations that should be addressed when preparing to undertake a CPR—from the perspectives of both administrators and faculty at smaller institutions where the number of faculty may be small and resources for the CPR process are often limited. Drawing on a case study of CPRs in several social sciences programs and a broader survey of those involved in CPRs from 2015-2020 at a small Western Canadian university, the authors identify key issues in preparing a CPR, such as the timing of the review, the advantages and disadvantages of an individual approach versus a team approach in preparing the CPR, the role of administrators in the CPR process, the importance of institutional templates in preparing the CPR, and the need for clearly identified program learning outcomes to guide the CPR process. This article also examines how a pandemic can impact the CPR process.

Residency Application Advising: Medical Student & Faculty Advisor Perceived Barriers & Expectations

IntroductionGiven the rapidly changing landscape of residency applications, many medical students struggle to identify guidance from faculty advisors. Additionally, faculty advisors may find it difficult to maintain up-to-date knowledge on changes such as the new supplemental application. These gaps could potentially lead to inequitable advising. The objective of this study was to identify both students' and faculty's perceived barriers and expectations for residency application advising. MethodsAnonymous surveys were administered to both fourth-year medical students and faculty advisors at a single institution within 2 mo of the residency application deadline. Survey questions assessed student and faculty barriers to establishing the advisor–advisee relationships, as well as expectations of the advisor role. Surveys were analyzed using descriptive statistics. ResultsWe identified that the majority of students (57%) did not have a faculty advisor within weeks of the application deadline, and an equal amount felt that finding an advisor was either somewhat difficult or extremely difficult. Of all the students, 60% felt their biggest barrier was not knowing how to find an advisor. Though faculty felt equipped to advise students, 75% of faculty in the participating specialties had advising concerns regarding the supplemental application or were unaware of the changes. ConclusionsWe identified gaps in the residency application advising process from both student and faculty perspectives. Future work involves increasing awareness of the resources and opportunities available to students to improve advising relationships. Standardized training tools and resources for faculty will result in more consistent and reliable faculty advising.

An exploration of faculty perspectives towards interprofessional education and collaborative practice during international electives in health professions training institutions in Africa

Background Faculty perspectives are key drivers of learning during international electives (IEs). However, in Africa, there is limited literature on these perspectives on interprofessional education and collaborative practice (IPECP) during IEs. Therefore, this study explored faculty perspectives toward IPECP within an international elective context from selected African institutions. Methods This was an exploratory qualitative study. The study participants included faculty from four health professional training universities in Africa. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. Common codes were identified and grouped to create subthemes and major themes. Results Four themes were identified: (i) The importance of IPECP during IEs, (ii) Approaches to IPECP during IEs, (iii) Perceived key barriers, and (iv) Perceived institutional support for IPECP during IEs. Most of the participants perceived IEs as a platform that can be used to cultivate IPECP with a multicultural perspective while promoting cross-border partnerships to advance health care. Suggested teaching approaches included case studies, joint clinical ward rounds, and simulations, among others, with an openness to having an online, blended, or physical mode of delivery. A framework to guide the implementation of IPECP during IEs was considered important, and most participants thought that their institutions had the infrastructure to support IPECP-IEs. Conclusions Faculty reported enabling perspectives of IPECP during IEs, emphasizing the need for a framework to guide and structure implementation. IPECP-IEs were perceived as a unique platform to cultivate IPECP skills with a multicultural component.

"It is Essentially About Treating Each Other Well": Insights from Faculty on Incivility in Nursing Education.

Incivility in nursing educational institutions, which may be perpetrated by both students and faculty, is troubling given that such institutions have a mandate to prepare students for caring, relational nursing practice. The purpose of this study was to contribute to understanding nursing academic incivility through an examination of nursing faculty's perspectives on student and faculty incivility. The study was conducted using a mixed methods, descriptive, survey design with collection and analysis of quantitative and qualitative data. The sample consisted of 52 faculty members. A large majority of faculty thought that incivility in the nursing academic environment is a problem, with most considering it to be a mild or moderate problem. Students acted unprofessionally by showing disrespect, displaying superiority, engaging in disruptive behaviors, or not taking responsibility for their role in their learning. Faculty acted unprofessionally by showing disrespect, displaying superiority, or not being supportive. Faculty perceived that stress, personality, failure to deal with incivility, and an attitude of entitlement contributed to incivility. They thought that educational interventions, policies, and an academic environment that is conducive to civility are needed to address the problem. Until evidence is available to support the effectiveness of interventions for academic incivility, nursing educational institutions are encouraged to implement strategies suggested by faculty in this study.

PHEISQUAL: A Scale to Measure Service Quality of Professional Higher Educational Institute From Faculty Perspective

This paper studies the service quality (SQ) of higher education institutes (HEI), offering professional courses from the perspective of faculty as they are the service providers as well as a major stakeholder in the educational arena. PHEISQUAL (Professional higher education institute service quality) scale has been developed to measure the service quality of HEI offering professional course using mixed methodology. Four factors namely—Training & Placement, Faculty Resource, Learning Infrastructure, and Assessment & Evaluation have been extracted. The scale has been subjected to rigorous analysis of scale development process and has complied with same. Thus this study accrues a new instrument to measure service quality of professional institutes offering higher education by taking into account the technical as well as operational factors.

Comparing teaching of amalgam and direct posterior composite restorations to undergraduates: A cross-sectional study among faculties from the Department of Conservative Dentistry & Endodontics in Kerala, India

Abstract Background: Posterior composites are widely used in dental practice today. But whether the undergraduate dental curriculum equip the students with the knowledge and skills in posterior composite placement is questionable. Further, amalgam seems to be an ideal choice of restoration by a few dental professionals. Thus this study aims to compare the theoretical, pre-clinical, and clinical curricular aspects of amalgam and direct posterior restoration from the perspective of dental teaching faculty. Materials and Methods: This observational cross-sectional study was conducted across all dental colleges in Kerala. A questionnaire designed through google forms were sent to 100 dental teaching faculty, selected by random sampling. The responses were entered in Microsoft excel and analysed using Statistical Product and Service Solution (SPSS) trial version 25. Appropriate descriptive and inferential statistics were employed. Results: Only 34.1% of the dental teaching faculty strongly agreed on the adequacy of the theoretical aspects of posterior composite restoration compared to 69.3% for amalgam restorations. Fifty percent of the study participants believed that amalgam will be completely replaced by posterior composite in future. Eighty three percent of the dental teaching faculty pointed out the inadequacy of time in preclinical exercises for posterior composite restorations. Conclusion: The findings highlighted inadequacy in the theoretical, pre-clinical, and clinical aspects of teaching posterior composite restorations among dental undergraduates and warranted the curricular reforms should be made accordingly.

Integrating ESG into the Accounting Curriculum: Insights from Accounting Educators

ABSTRACT This study examines the current state of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) accounting education in university settings. We survey 452 accounting faculty to better understand how, when, and where ESG components are being integrated into the accounting curriculum, the current state of ESG integration, and implementation challenges. We find that few accounting departments have formally integrated ESG components into the accounting curriculum, although numerous faculty members have taught ESG topics through their own initiative. Results show that many accounting educators recognize the need for ESG instruction but lack the necessary resources and support. Survey findings reveal faculty perspectives regarding where and how ESG should be taught, implementation strategies, possible challenges, and resources needed. We provide an overview of the current ESG reporting environment, the position of the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, the status of the Uniform CPA Exam, and current ESG instructional resources.

Equitable Access for Blind, Visually Impaired, and Print-Disabled (BVIPD) Students in Online Learning

Equitable Access for Blind, Visually Impaired, and Print-Disabled (BVIPD) Students in Online Learning

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The Climate Wise slides: An evaluation of planetary health lecture slides for medical education

Educational Challenge There is an urgent need for innovations in planetary health medical education. Physicians must be prepared to provide high-value, low-carbon healthcare for patients increasingly impacted by the health consequences of climate change. Proposed Solution The Climate Wise slides, an evidence-based, open-access pedagogical tool that provides didactic planetary health medical education organized by medical subspecialty, was developed and evaluated by a virtual lecture session that presented a subset of the slides to N = 75 Canadian medical students. Each participant completed a questionnaire before and after the Climate Wise virtual lecture that included multiple choice questions to assess their planetary health knowledge and a rating of their interest in including the Climate Wise slides in medical curricula. Lessons Learned Participants showed significantly improved planetary health knowledge scores (p < 0.0001) and increased interest in including the Climate Wise slides in medical curricula (p < 0.001) after the virtual Climate Wise lecture session. This study demonstrates that the Climate Wise slides are a valuable pedagogical tool to advance planetary health medical education. Next Steps Future directions include evaluating faculty perspectives on the Climate Wise slides, learning outcomes of the slides implemented longitudinally in medical curricula, and developing higher-order problem-based and simulation-based planetary health medical education resources. Given the urgent need for planetary health medical education, we recommend the global sharing of teaching resources to facilitate the rapid upscaling of validated pedagogical tools internationally.

Investigating Bandura’s Processes of Observational Learning Implementations from EFL Faculty Perspective at Umm Al-Qura University English Language Centre

The present study attempts to investigate the implementations of Bandura’s processes of observational learning from an EFL faculty perspective at Umm Al-Qura University English Language Centre. As a prominent skill-learning theory in psychology and education, Bandura’s social learning theory introduced elemental cognitive stages known as observational learning processes that are necessary for acquiring any skill. Knowledge of these processes provides EFL/ESL teachers with theoretical principles to facilitate teaching and learning the complex skills of the English language. The study aims to identify the EFL faculty awareness level of Bandura’s observational learning processes and assess the extent to which their teaching practices endorse observational learning. Also, to examine the relationship between EFL faculty awareness and practices. The study participants consisted of (41) EFL faculty members during the academic year 2021-2022. The researchers developed a web-based survey to collect the information and used descriptive statistics for analysis. The findings revealed that the faculty members’ overall awareness and practices levels of Bandura’s observational learning are high. However, the results indicated the existence of a misconception regarding the concept of modeling and observation held by some of the faculty members. Also, results indicated a significant relationship at (0.05) level between EFL faculty awareness and practices suggesting the applicability of Bandura’s observational learning in the EFL context. The study provides substantial insights for EFL/ESL teachers and researchers regarding the importance of observational learning in teaching and developing language skills. The research concludes with the need for raising awareness procedures and suggestions for future research.

Genetic counseling graduate program faculty perspectives on sharing education materials among programs.

Rapid advancements in genetics care requires responsive genetic counseling (GC) training capable of integrating new discoveries and practice into their curricula. The utilization of shared or standardized educational resources may address this need. Recognizing the potential of shared resources, the Pharmacogenetics (PGx) Working Group of the NSGC Precision Medicine Special Interest Group (SIG) launched a standardized education module using a flipped-classroom format to provide all GC programs equal access to PGx expertise and alleviate the burden of curriculum development. Following the initial success of the program, we aimed to explore the utilization of shared and standardized education resources more broadly, and better understand the perspectives of GC program faculty regarding their use. Twenty-nine program faculty representing at least 14 programs responded to an online survey. The majority (n = 21) reported sharing educational materials with another GC program, and 90% of those reported the shared materials to be beneficial as they promote collaboration, efficiency, address a gap in content, and provide access to experts. Similar benefits were described when using a standardized curriculum, which was defined as standardized lectures and activities created about a particular topic and made available to all genetic counseling programs; 16 participants indicated they would be very likely or likely to use a standardized curriculum. A secondary aim of the survey was to assess the existing PGx module that utilizes a flipped-classroom format. Overall, the PGx module was well received, indicating that a standardized shared module is well-suited for instruction on emerging and specialty topics. All participants believed the flipped-classroom format to be very or somewhat beneficial. In summary, results indicate that shared educational materials, including standardized education modules, are a potential solution to challenges related to efficiency and access to content experts in GC education, and program leadership is receptive to using them.

THE ROLE OF SIMULATION TRAINING FOR TEACHING (IN TEACHING) ANESTHESIOLOGIST INTERNS: A TWO-WAY SURVEY

Resume. In the modern system of training intern anesthesiologists, simulation training is becoming an increasingly common tool for achieving educational goals. The simulation ensures the acquisition of professional competencies without the risk of harm to the patient and enables teachers to objectively assess the level of professional training of each intern. There is a growing need to review traditional approaches to the interaction between a teacher and an intern with the increasing use of simulation technologies.&#x0D; The purpose of the study was to determine the role of simulation training in the teaching of anesthesiologist interns.&#x0D; Materials and method. A prospective audit was conducted at the Department of Surgery, Anesthesiology and Intensive Care of the O.O. Bogomolets National Medical University in the period from April to June 2023. Interns of the 2nd year of training in 2023 in the speciality «Anesthesiology and intensive care» were trained in a 1-day simulation training «Critical incidents during anaesthesia". We examine data (lower-level outcomes) assessing the role of simulation training on learning outcomes and willingness to work independently from the perspective of interns and faculty using an anonymous questionnaire at the end of the training.&#x0D; Results: the audit included 36 responses from interns and 10 from teachers. Many intern doctors noted an increase in their motivation to study, achievement of educational goals and correction of errors as a result of debriefing thanks to the conducted simulation training. Intern doctors noted that such training was very close to real conditions, it increased confidence in working with patients and readiness for emergencies, helped identify knowledge gaps and was more effective compared to traditional training (lectures, seminars). The results of the teachers' survey confirm the importance of simulation training as an effective means of training interns, which ensures the achievement of educational goals without risks for patients, accelerates the process of acquisition of competencies by learners, increases their motivation to study and objectively reflects the level of skills and knowledge of interns.&#x0D; Conclusions. Our research has proven that simulation training should be a mandatory component of the training program of the clinical internship in the speciality «Anesthesiology and intensive care» with an increase in their share in the training program of specialists. Creating conditions of mutual trust between interns and teachers is the key to the social mission of ensuring the quality of postgraduate education. Conducting a debriefing after working out each simulation scenario lays the foundation for the formation of critical thinking in future doctors and helps to avoid mistakes in real clinical practice.&#x0D; The role of systematic simulation training at the postgraduate level to improve outcomes in real clinical practice may be the subject of further research.

Scaffolding the Transition to Residency: A Qualitative Study of Coach and Resident Perspectives.

This study explores coaching during transition from medical school to residency through the perspectives of residents and faculty coaches participating in a coaching program from residency match through the first year of residency. From January to September 2020, 15 faculty coaches in internal medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, emergency medicine, orthopedics, and pathology participated in a synchronous, in-person coaching training course. All 94 postgraduate year 1 residents in these 5 training programs participated. Between November 2021 and March 2022, focus groups were held with interns from all residency programs participating in the program. Interviews were conducted with faculty coaches in February 2022. Faculty and residents discussed their experiences with and perceptions of coaching. De-identified transcripts were coded, and researchers organized these codes into broader categories, generated cross-cutting themes from the concepts described in both cohorts, and proposed a model for the potential of coaching to support the transition to residency. Descriptive themes were constructed and analytic themes developed by identifying concepts that crossed the data sets. Seven focus groups were held with 39 residents (42%). Residents discussed the goals of a coaching program, coach attributes, program factors, resident attributes, and the role of the coach. Coaches focused on productivity of coaching, coaching skills and approach, professional development, and scaffolding the coaching experience. Three analytic themes were created: (1) coaching as creating an explicit curriculum for growth through the transition to residency, (2) factors contributing to successful coaching, and (3) ways in which these factors confront graduate medical education norms. Learner and faculty perspectives on coaching through the transition to residency reveal the potential for coaching to make an explicit and modifiable curriculum for professional growth and development. Creating structures for coaching in graduate medical education may allow for individualized professional development, improved mindset, self-awareness, and self-directed learning.

Physician Assistant Faculty Perceptions Regarding Ongoing Self-assessment and Accreditation.

While the processes of ongoing self-assessment and accreditation provide significant benefits to physician assistant (PA) programs, faculty members are often challenged by the required procedures and standards set by accreditation agencies. This study explored faculty perspectives regarding the processes of ongoing self-assessment and accreditation in PA programs. A qualitative research design centered around semistructured interviews was used. A total of 26 participants were recruited, including PA program directors, associate program directors, directors of assessment and accreditation, past Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant commissioners, accreditation consultants, deans, and PA Education Association leaders. Semistructured one-on-one interviews were conducted by 8 members of the research team through Zoom video conferencing. Data were collected until saturation was reached. The interview recordings were transcribed and analyzed independently by 3 researchers. The transcripts were imported into NVivo, a qualitative data analysis software, for coding and inductive thematic analysis. Six emergent themes were identified under 2 major categories: facilitators and challenges. Facilitators for conducting continuous programmatic review and analysis include it takes a village, internal and external support, and sustained faculty development, whereas challenges are lack of knowledge and time, unclear expectations, and inflexibility. The study highlights factors associated with facilitating the ongoing self-assessment process. However, a number of challenges were also identified. The study suggests opportunities for intervention at the program, institution, and profession level.

Higher Education Saudi Faculty Perspectives on the Instruction and Inclusion of Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Intellectual Disabilities

A total of 90 special education Saudi Arabian faculty members in 20 institutions of higher education were surveyed using the Revised Opinion Relative to Mainstreaming Survey to understand the preparation of pre-service teachers and their readiness to implement evidence-based practices to elementary students with an intellectual disability or autism spectrum disorder. The descriptive research design was utilized. Results revealed that although faculty noted interest in preparing pre-service teachers to support students with intellectual disabilities or autism, several barriers impeded their ability to effectively prepare teachers, such as a lack of collaboration in course development and fieldwork experience between departments of special and general education, the readiness of general education teachers to support students with autism/intellectual disabilities in the general settings, the use of evidence-based practices, and limited faculty interest to improve their knowledge and skills in this area. Limitations and implications for practice and future research are also discussed.

Faculty Perspectives on Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access (IDEA) in Online Teaching

This study contributes to a better understanding of instructors’ perceptions of equity issues within online teaching and learning. The researchers conducted interviews with 21 instructors at one university across disciplines regarding their experience with, and recommendations for, attending to issues of inclusion, diversity, equity, and access (IDEA) in online teaching. Findings revealed that instructors characterized online teaching and IDEA issues as distinct skillsets and that they were not necessarily prepared to apply IDEA issues in online teaching. Participants also focused their attention much more on access and inclusion—with access as a baseline expectation and inclusion operationalized as relationship building—rather than on equity and diversity, areas in which faculty efforts often translated (or not) from their face-to-face teaching experience. We conclude the paper with implications for faculty, educational developers, administrators, and institutions.

Meeting the promise and challenges of “Free College”: Research and practical insights from a community college scholarship program

AbstractThis chapter illustrates the potential promise and complexities of free college initiatives from the perspective of administrators, faculty, staff, and students who are involved in a scholarship program at a small Midwestern community college. Based on two waves of interviews conducted in 2019 and 2021 respectively, we found that, while largely supportive of the free college movement, the program participants shared clear reservations due to potential unintended burdens on the part of institutions, and compounding barriers for students that free tuition alone cannot solve. This chapter closes by presenting a series of implications to inform the implementation of “free college” to realize its full promise.

Response to Lubin and Reio, “From the Standpoint of Instructional Designers: Critically Investigating the Coordination of ID Contributions to Collaborative Online Course Development”

This response provides a response to the Lubin and Reio article, Response to Lubin and Reio, “From the Standpoint of Instructional Designers: Critically Investigating the Coordination of ID Contributions to Collaborative Online Course Development.” Specifically, it explores persistent gaps in the literature on the relationships between faculty and of instructional designers when designing asynchronous online courses in higher education: (a) lack of the perspectives of faculty and administrators in the research; (b) a lack of a formal definition of collaboration and, along with that, a consideration of the other roles that instructional designers play in higher education; (c) issues regarding the status of faculty and instructional designers in higher education; and (d) copyright ownership issues and their impact on working relationships. The response argues that, until the research explores these issues, the ability of this line of research to effectively advocate for change in the relationships between faculty and instructional designers is limited.