Education Commons^™

Social Capital: Increasing Pedagogy In Higher Education Institutions, Jeanne Hager Burth, Melissa J. Marks

Journal of Research Initiatives

The paper utilizes the fundamental components of social capital theory. It assesses a hypothesis that higher levels of social capital result in benefits for professional development of pedagogy in higher education institutions' faculty. A year-long study was conducted that offered faculty training in increasing critical thinking skills in teaching. The research explored the benefits to faculty when learning alongside colleagues in the higher education institute. Qualitative methods were used to analyze pre-and post-surveys, focus groups, descriptions of lesson plans, and real-time observations. Findings focused on the power of collegial collaboration and peer reviews, the lack of pedagogical knowledge, and the …