Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons^™

Beyond Lecturing: A Qualitative Exploration Of The Impact Of Artificial Intelligence (Ai) And Academic Integrity On Faculty Job Satisfaction In Christian Higher Education, Jacob T. Byrd, Heather J. Conner, Charlene S. Geisler, Jonathan A. Giles, Mark D. Granger, Sheila Ruyack, Andrew H. Volk

Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning

The evolving state of Artificial Intelligence (AI) poses significant challenges for faculty in higher education when dealing with academic integrity issues related to student use of AI for course assignments. Students’ utilization of AI contributes to a variety of factors related to faculty perceptions of expectations for AI use in the classroom and how they should approach issues pertaining to academic integrity. While research exists relating to job satisfaction of higher education faculty and expectations regarding technology and AI use in the classroom, research is also limited regarding the effects of AI and academic integrity on the perceptions of expectations …

Beyond Teaching: The Ripple Effect Of Mentoring And Advising On Job Satisfaction, Brad Burgess, Justin Bamba, Laura Beiler, Patricia Meulemans, Cathy Roberts, Alicia Slate

Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning

Abstract

This study explored the lived experiences of faculty members in a Christian higher education (CHE) institution located in the southeastern region of the United States. Mentoring and advising were defined within the research as they pertain to CHE. Herzberg et al.’s (1959) two-factor model was the theoretical framework of this qualitative phenomenological study. The study examined how perceptions of mentoring and advising related to job satisfaction. Six participants completed interviews, asynchronous written discussions, and individual journal entries. Using Moustakas’ (1994) transcendental phenomenological approach, five themes were revealed: Student Impact, Relationship Development, Life Experience Mentorship, Christian Identity, and Fulfillment. Christian …

Can You Hear Me Now? The Impact Of Communication With Students On Faculty Job Satisfaction In Christian Higher Education: A Qualitative Research Study, Bruce K. Bell, Virginia W. Cashion, Kimberly S. Cashman, Alexander Lagos Choquecahua, Collin M. Lyons, Robert J. Doan

Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning

The goal of Christian higher education is to effectively integrate faith and learning to equip students to make an impact for Christ in the world. Consequently, faculty at faith-based institutions face challenges when attempting to navigate the ever-changing academic landscape while simultaneously satisfying students’ expectations. This study seeks to explore faculty-student communication and how this affects faculty job satisfaction within Christian higher education. The methodological approach to address this gap included a phenomenological design, which involved interviewing six faculty members from a large Christian university located in the Southeastern United States. These interviews produced useful lived experiences, and the purposeful …

Beyond Lecturing: A Qualitative Exploration Of The Impact Of Lesson Planning On Faculty Job Satisfaction In Christian Higher Education, Andrea Lynn Smith, Randy Baker, David M. Hahn, Cheryl B. Hemric, Karen Haaland Hubbard, Annik A. Miller, Brenda L. Widger

Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning

Job satisfaction for higher education faculty is influenced by many factors, with lesson planning serving as a contributing factor. This phenomenological study sought to explore and understand the lived experiences of faculty members regarding the impact of lesson planning on job satisfaction in a Christian higher education institution. Using phenomenological methods, the researchers conducted in-person interviews, administered discussion board focus groups, and gathered reflective journal entries from a sample size of six participants at a large, faith-based university located in the southeastern United States. During the data analysis, five themes emerged: Faith Integration and Spiritual Purpose, Autonomy and Creative Freedom, …

Tension And Grace: Perceptions Of Assessment And Grading Among Christian Higher Education Faculty And Impact On Job Satisfaction, Jerry L. Pitts, Nary Kitson, Lori Roach, Ashley Tharpe, Sherri Ann Walker, Daniel P. Yerrington

Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning

This research investigated Christian higher education faculty members perceived job satisfaction regarding assessment and grading. Six participants completed semi-structured interviews, discussion boards, and journal entries with specific questions related to assessment and grading. A phenomenological methodology using rich textual data generated four themes: pedagogical support, job satisfaction, time management, and emotional investment. Results indicated that faculty believed that assessment and grading were an integral part of their job. Job satisfaction was most prevalent when student growth was apparent in assessment and when students appreciated instructor feedback. The study offered five recommendations: 1) clarified assessment and grading expectations for Christian higher …

Beyond Teaching: A Qualitative Exploration Of The Impact Of Active Learning On Faculty Job Satisfaction In Christian Higher Education, Alisha Castaneda, Grace Michele Baker, Marsha Baker, Hanna Byrd, Kahlib Fischer, Folashade O. Odedina

Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning

Abstract

This research aims to examine the lived experiences of university professors at a Christian university regarding active learning (AL) and job satisfaction. Using Herzberg’s two-factor theory as a guiding framework, the researchers employed a qualitative transcendental phenomenological study to gauge the perceptions of six faculty members who teach using residential or online delivery formats. Data were collected through individual interviews, reflection journals, and discussion groups. Thematic analysis was utilized to identify initial codes and emerging themes, giving voice to the participants' firsthand knowledge and perspectives. The research noted four dominant themes regarding AL and professor job satisfaction: positive student …

Editorial: Faculty Flourishing: Job Satisfaction, Calling, And The Strength Of Academic Community, Shawn Bielicki, Alexandra Barnett

Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning

Editorial: Faculty Flourishing: Job Satisfaction, Calling, and the Strength of Academic Community

About This Journal - Issue 2, Shawn Bielicki

Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning

About this Journal - Issue 2

First Course Portfolio For Plpt 803 Fundamentals Of Scientific Discovery, Hernan Garcia-Ruiz

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

PLPT 803 Fundamentals of Scientific discovery is a new curse in the Department of Plant Pathology at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. I designed and developed this course from the ground up. Initially, it was offered as a special topic (PLPT 892-014) for four years. PLPT 803 was approved by the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources curriculum committee in September of 2025. PLPT 803 is unique within the University of Nebraska system and will be offered for the first time in the fall of 2027. The course is designed for students to learn fundamental scientific skills such as scrutinize, …

Teach In English Or Perish: A Phenomenological Inquiry Into The Lives Of Three Emi Educators, Michela Gronchi

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

Teaching in English Medium Instruction (EMI) programs can significantly reshape educators’ professional identities particularly when English is not their first language. This article summarizes a previously published phenomenological study with three Italian EMI educators in educational linguistics. Drawing on creative fortune lines to trace their experiences, the study showed that participants’ disciplinary field played a central role in their lived identity, intersecting with issues of language teaching and native-speakerist ideologies. The findings also revealed a heightened awareness of multilingual competence across English and other languages, which contributed to identity formation, alongside a pronounced tension between their professional selves expressed in …

Empowering International Students For Positive Social Risk-Taking In U.S. Higher Education, Maha Azzazi

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

During the acculturation process to their new life in the United States, international students can face challenges in building meaningful connections with their campus community due to difficulties in social integration. There has been limited research on finding effective ways to help international students overcome these challenges, despite numerous studies exploring the factors contributing to international students' disengagement, such as cultural and linguistic barriers and financial difficulties. To address this gap, this phenomenological qualitative study examines the experiences of eight international students at a US university. Among the themes that emerge from preliminary results are familiar challenges faced by students, …

Pedagogy Of Care: Exploring Climate Justice Frameworks In Cuny Undergraduate Courses, Ismerlyn Gonzalez

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Climate justice centers the human rights of communities most impacted by the climate crisis rather than solely focusing on the scientific aspects of environmental challenges and disasters. Higher education institutions play a key role in advancing climate justice education, but research shows that frameworks are not consistently defined across institutions. The IRB-approved study that produced the findings in this capstone sought to explore how climate justice frameworks are implemented at the CUNY undergraduate level and learn more about the instructors delivering these courses. From February to April 2026, instructors from different CUNY undergraduate campuses were surveyed, interviewed, and asked to …

Rethinking Pre-Service Teachers’ Agency In Ai-Supported Lesson Design Through A Posthuman Synthesis Of Three Empirical Studies In Teacher Education, Wen Wen, Huijing Wen

Excelsior: Leadership in Teaching and Learning

Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) is increasingly used in lesson planning in teacher education. There has been a growing interest in exploring the different practices of teachers using GenAI to support lesson planning. This conceptual paper, using posthumanism as a framework, synthesizes three empirical studies to conceptualize pre-service teachers’ agency in AI-supported lesson design on literacy instruction. Pre-service teachers’ agency emerges from the interaction with GenAI, as well as with other human and non-human resources. Although their agency is shared and distributed during the design process, it remains essential for pre-service teachers to actively exercise their agency and make informed judgments …

Examining Lyman’S Ideas: Pre-Service Teachers' Perceptions On The Integration Of Pedagogical Strategies That Transform Literacy Instruction, Elizabeth Falzone, Charles Gonzalez, Paul J. Vermette

Excelsior: Leadership in Teaching and Learning

This project, grounded in Lyman's (2022) culmination of experiential and scholarly endeavors, seeks to prepare excellent educators in a post-COVID environment that is marked with heightened anxiety. With this in mind, we sought to investigate the efficacy and value of implementing specific strategies outlined in 100 Teaching Ideas that Transfer and Transform Learning (Lyman, 2022) within an introductory literacy course. Our goal was to explore how these strategies could empower pre-service teachers to construct their own perceptions of effective teaching of literacy in primary through secondary classrooms, thereby fostering self-driven, confident, and innovative educators capable of creating student-centered learning environments. …

Early Childhood Educators’ Perceptions Of Changes In Student Executive Function Skills And Challenging Behaviors Post-Covid-19, Sofia Cicero, Raquel Plotka

Excelsior: Leadership in Teaching and Learning

The COVID-19 pandemic greatly impacted children’s lives in a multitude of ways, including their educational and social lives. Many children had to switch to online learning platforms or follow social distancing rules. There is a lack of research exploring the lasting impact that the isolation period has left on young children, specifically those in early childhood (3-7 years old). The purpose of this study was to explore whether teachers witnessed changes in student executive function skills and challenging behaviors after the pandemic. In addition, play-based learning has been shown to improve executive function and behavioral outcomes. This study also attempted …

Breaking Silos In Educator Learning: A Public-Private Partnership Model, Jesslyn R. Hollar, Chelsea Feusner, Carrie Kracl, Megan Adkins, Shannon C. Mulhearn

Excelsior: Leadership in Teaching and Learning

Early childhood literacy development is a key predictor of long-term academic success, yet many early childhood educators and particularly those in rural education settings lack access to high-quality, evidence-based professional learning. Increasing policy mandates related to the science of reading have intensified the need for coordinated systems between policy, research, and instructional practice. This qualitative program evaluation examines Project RISE (Reading Instructional Strategies for Educators), a statewide professional learning initiative developed through a public–private partnership among a regional university, a state department of education, and an educational industry partner. Drawing on Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory, Wenger’s Communities of Practice, and …

Scaling For Success: Expanding The Empire State Teacher Residency Program, Sharon Sullivan-Rubin, Charity Dacey, Nicole Aveni

Excelsior: Leadership in Teaching and Learning

This paper explores the challenges and opportunities involved in scaling the Empire State Teacher Residency Program (ESTRP), a partnership between Touro University and New York City Public Schools, operating within the US PREP coalition. As ESTRP expands from an inaugural cohort of 12 to potentially over 600 residents, the study examines how program quality, fidelity, and equity can be maintained during rapid growth. Drawing on Senge’s organizational learning theory and Fullan’s framework for educational change, the research highlights the importance of systems thinking, shared vision, and feedback loops in supporting sustainable expansion. The study details how collaborative professional learning communities, …

Letter From The Editors, Quinn Austermann, Joelle Fingerhut, Stephanie Purington

Excelsior: Leadership in Teaching and Learning

No abstract provided.

Message From The President, Rene S. Parmar

Excelsior: Leadership in Teaching and Learning

No abstract provided.

Table Of Contents - Volume 18, Issue 2

Excelsior: Leadership in Teaching and Learning

No abstract provided.

Layers Of Representation: A Multidimensional Book Analysis, Mariah Pfundheller, Nikki Logan, Amy E. Lein, Sydney Bueno

Kentucky Teacher Education Journal: The Journal of the Teacher Education Division of the Kentucky Council for Exceptional Children

This study evaluates how educators interpret the Multidimensional Framework for Inclusive Literature (MDFIL), a tool for evaluating and selecting multicultural literature for their classrooms. Participants self-identified as current, former/retired, or student teachers, or as undergraduates pursuing a teaching license at the time of the survey. Incorporating multicultural literature into educational settings has a positive impact on children's development. Multicultural literature fosters feelings of acceptance, cultural awareness, and empathy among students. By exposing children to diverse cultural perspectives, multicultural literature not only enhances their understanding of their own identities but also cultivates a greater appreciation of others' experiences. The benefits of …

Extending Sbar To Sbar-A: A Practice-Based Framework For Dnp Clinical Scholarship, Cynthia Plonien

Nursing Faculty Publications & Presentations

The SBAR (Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation) framework is widely used to structure communication in healthcare settings. However, its traditional use emphasizes information exchange rather than practice change. Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) education requires translation of evidence into action through measurable practice change and leadership engagement. This manuscript introduces SBAR-A, an adaptation of the SBAR framework that adds an “Action” component requiring application of evidence-based interventions. SBAR-A integrates planning, leadership, and the application of knowledge to practice. This framework provides a structured approach for bridging communication and practice change within DNP clinical scholarship.

Construction Project Administration: Course Portfolio, Andre Messner

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

This portfolio presents a structured framework for the design and implementation of a construction project administration course within a Construction Management program. Emphasis is placed on aligning student learning objectives, instructional strategies, and assessment methods with current industry expectations and professional standards. The course is intentionally designed to bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application by incorporating real-world scenarios, collaborative learning environments, and experiential activities that mirror industry practices.

In addition to outlining the course structure, this paper examines the pedagogical foundations that support student-centered learning, including constructivism, scaffolding, and project-based learning. These approaches are used to foster …

Increasing Students’ Self-Efficacy In Consuming, Conducting, And Disseminating Neuroimaging Research: Experiences From Teaching Edps 991: Social And Affective Neuroscience, Isabella Starling Alves

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

Social and emotional factors are critical for learning, being core aspects of the educational  psychology curricula. Recently, neuroimaging has emerged as a powerful tool to  comprehend the neurobiological factors underlying these factors. Yet, many educational  psychologists have low familiarity with neuroscience research. The course EDPS 991:  Social and Affective Neuroscience, from the Department of Educational Psychology at the  University of Nebraska-Lincoln, emerges in this context, training educational psychology  graduate students to consume, conduct, and disseminate findings about how the brain  relates to socioemotional processes. One challenge related to the course is that many  students feel anxious about learning the neuroimaging …

Part-Time Faculty In Art And Design Higher Education: Support & Challenges, Katherine Ye Jin Lee

Masters Theses

This thesis investigates the challenge part-time faculty in art and design higher education face and the institutional support they receive through a case study conducted at Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). Through an extensive, anonymous and voluntary part-time faculty survey across different departments at RISD, it examines: 1) current perceptions of available institutional & departmental teaching support, 2) teaching approach & practice, and 3) student-faculty engagement. The research aimed to gather data on challenges that are unique to part-time faculty in art and design fields, especially in relation to faculty-student engagement to understand areas where they can be better …

Reclamando Corazón Y Voz: Latinas Speak Their Truth Through Plática As Resistance In California Community College Learning Disabilities Assessments, Maricela Becerra

Dissertations

Although California Community Colleges (CCCs) offer learning disability (LD) assessments to determine eligibility for academic accommodations, for Latina students navigating converging forces of race, gender, language, citizenship, and ableism, these assessments often surface unspoken histories of harm. This study advanced Chicana feminista DisCrit (CFDC), extending disability critical race theory through Chicana spirituality and cultural intuition to examine possibilities when an educadora situates assessments in a plática grounded in consideración—respectful, relational, and unhurried care.

Rooted in Chicana feminist pláticas methodology and authored from the positionality of a disabled Latina scholar–practitioner, this qualitative decolonial dissertation explored how Latina students reflected on …

Embedding Clinical Application Assignments In Dnp Education: A Model For Practice Hour Acquisition, Cynthia Plonien

Nursing Faculty Publications & Presentations

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) programs must ensure graduates complete a minimum of 1,000 post-baccalaureate clinical/practice hours aligned with the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Essentials. As programs transition to accelerated and online formats, achieving these hours has become increasingly challenging, particularly for students entering without prior supervised clinical experience. Traditional models relying on terminal practicum courses often create feasibility limitations and variability in the quality of practice experiences. This article describes an innovative curricular model that embeds Clinical Application Assignments (CAAs) across didactic coursework to support longitudinal acquisition of clinical hours. This approach provides a feasible and …

Second Annual Advances In Business Education Conference 2026 Proceedings, Kelsey Metz

Advances in Business Education (ABE) Conference Proceedings

Conference Overview: The Second Annual Advances in Business Education (ABE) Conference was held on May 21–22, 2026, at Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, Tennessee. Hosted by the LMU School of Business, the ABE Conference exists to promote teaching excellence, scholarly inquiry, and regional engagement through innovation and collaboration in business education.

With a focus on fostering meaningful dialogue among educators, researchers, students, and industry professionals, the conference welcomed more than 70 attendees representing 11 institutions from across the Appalachian region and beyond.

The event was structured around four key tracks:

Pedagogy and Teaching Excellence: Showcasing innovative teaching methods, instructional technologies, …

Can We Digitize A Soul? A Study Of Ai And Ethics, Spirituality, And Humanity, Debra S. Espinor, W. Scot Headley, Linda Samek

International Christian Community of Teacher Educators Journal

The rapid advancement of computing technologies and artificial intelligence (AI) is fundamentally reshaping both society and the educational landscape. This study examines faculty experiences and attitudes toward the role of AI in teaching and research within the distinct context of Christian higher education. While recognizing the potential of AI to drive educational innovation, this research also addresses significant faculty concerns regarding the implications for academic integrity, critical thinking, and intellectual property. Specifically, the study investigates faculty perspectives on data security and privacy, the reproduction of creative expression in art and music, and the broader impact of AI on the liberal …

An Editorial: If I Should Fall, Patrick Otto, David Weir

International Christian Community of Teacher Educators Journal

Abstract

The future of Christian higher education will be determined by whether today’s leaders can identify and train successors who are called to the mission and vision of each institution. The task of transitioning to a new generation of leaders has become more complicated as research shows that the church in America is in decline. The increased use of adjuncts adds to the dilemma because it takes time and a single-minded focus to prepare high-level leaders.

We are at a critical time finding the right people to replace the Baby Boomer generation, which has led well past retirement age. As …