Education Commons^™

International Master's Degree Students' Experiences Of Support At A Finnish University, Anduena Ballo, Sotiria Varis, Charles Mathies, Kalypso Filippou

Educational Foundations & Leadership Faculty Publications

This phenomenographic study explores international master’s degree students’ ways of experiencing support in Finnish higher education. The study draws on Schlossberg’s Transition Model and the Culturally Engaging Campus Environments Model as a conceptual framework. The phenomenographic analysis of 17 interviews with international master’s degree students identified four ways of experiencing support as: (a) study system adjustment, (b) learning enhancement, (c) personal growth, and (d) autonomy development. The findings identified participants’ experiencing support in relationships, use of information, communication, services, the flexibility of studies, learning and study environments. The presence of two indicators, Humanizing Educational Environments and Availability of Holistic Support …

Transformational Leadership In Higher Education Programs, Joshua L. Howell, Kim E. Bullington, Dennis E. Gregory, Mitchell R. Williams, William L. Nuckols

Educational Foundations & Leadership Faculty Publications

The current mixed-method study investigates transformational leadership qualities through higher education doctoral programs in the Commonwealth of Virginia. This study relies on three data points: interviews with graduate program directors of higher education doctoral programs (whether PhD or EdD), a program evaluation of programs, and Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ-5x™) survey results from students within said programs. Data were collected from the five public universities that offer higher education doctoral programs within the Commonwealth of Virginia. Students completed a self-rating using the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ-5x™) and then were peer-rated by colleagues to strengthen the validity of the study. Additionally, themes …

Cultivating A 'Community Of Practice' In An Educational Leadership Preparation Program: Experiences And Roles Of Adjunct Faculty, Karen Swann, Karen L. Sanzo, Jay Paredes Scribner, Michael Cromartie

Educational Foundations & Leadership Faculty Publications

Educational leadership preparation programs increasingly rely on adjunct faculty to teach aspiring leaders. Although the percentage of adjunct faculty serving as instructors continues to grow relative to full-time, tenured faculty, the role of part-time instructors/K-12 practitioners remains confined to instruction. This study explored how one educational leadership preparation program attempted to include adjunct faculty in roles beyond teaching to include course and curriculum development, program redesign, and recruitment and marketing. Informed by the communities of practice literature, this study illustrates ways that programs can foster meaningful professional community among full- and part-time faculty in ways that contribute to program quality. …

An Exploration Of Pharmacy Education Researchers' Perceptions And Experiences Conducting Qualitative Research, Antonio A. Bush, Mauriell Amechi, Adam Persky

Educational Foundations & Leadership Faculty Publications

Objective. To investigate pharmacy education researchers' experiences in conducting qualitative research and their perceptions of qualitative research in pharmacy education

Methods. A phenomenological approach was used to conduct one-time, in-depth interviews with 19 participants from 12 schools and colleges of pharmacy. Interview transcripts were coded and themes were identified using a modified form of the Sort and Sift, Think and Shift method of data analysis.

Results. Faculty members were the largest subgroup in the sample, followed by graduate students, postdoctoral fellows/scholars, and residents. Pharmacy education researchers had varying levels of training in conducting qualitative research and some had none at …

Life Outside Your Comfort Zone: The Power Of Reflection For Cultural Adjustment, Jobila Sy, Natalie Cruz

Educational Foundations & Leadership Faculty Publications

This reflective paper explores the different experiences of two higher education professionals who utilized intentional reflection to help with the transition to new countries and cultural environments. One story focuses on how the higher education professional grappled with different challenges even though her new environments afforded her a novel privilege of membership in a racial and religious majority. The other higher education professional’s story discusses her transition from life as a member of the majority to a member of the minority in a different religious and racial context. The paper concludes by sharing recommendations for how other higher education professionals …

Community College Faculty's Attitudes And Self-Efficacy With Literacy Instruction In The Disciplines, Kristen H. Gregory, Linda Bol, Thomas Bean, Tony Perez

Educational Foundations & Leadership Faculty Publications

Many community college students are entering college-level courses underprepared for the literacy skills required to be successful. Faculty are considered experts in their disciplines, yet are often not trained in pedagogy and literacy instruction (Furco & Moely, 2012; Moje, 2008; Tsui, 2002). We developed a questionnaire to measure faculty's (n = 231) perceptions of their role, level of self-efficacy, and classroom practice in regard to discipline- specific literacy instruction. We analyzed data using exploratory factor analysis, t-tests, and analysis of variance. The findings show that faculty have marginally positive perceptions and self-efficacy regarding incorporating discipline-specific literacy instruction in their courses. …

Resources For Professional/Staff Development, Dennis E. Gregory

Educational Foundations & Leadership Faculty Publications

Institutional staff development offerings vary greatly in content, quality, and direction. This article offers mechanisms which may be used to assist planners by showing how professional associations and CAS standards material may be used as parts of these programs. The article also describes several institutional staff development programs.