scholarly journals A Developmental Perspective on Behaviors of New Faculty Transition into Higher Education

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 348-358
Author(s):  
Brianne F. Kilbourne ◽  
Thomas G. Bowman ◽  
Stephanie M. Mazerolle

Context: The responsibilities of new faculty members can be stressful because of the expectations of research, teaching, service, and for some, administration. The strain from transition and role complexity can impact faculty members' perceptions of the experience and therefore professional development. Objective: To understand how individual characteristics and behaviors influenced development of new faculty during their transition from doctoral students to faculty members. Design: Qualitative phenomenology study. Setting: Higher education institutions with Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education-accredited athletic training programs. Patients or Other Participants: Sixteen junior faculty (7 males, 9 females, age = 32 ± 3.5 years) representing 7 National Athletic Trainers' Association districts and 14 different higher education institutions participated. Main Outcome Measure(s): A semistructured telephone interview protocol was used to examine the experiences of junior faculty within their first 3 years of a faculty role. Interviews were coded inductively using a psychosocial developmental interpretive lens. Credibility was established with saturation of the findings and researcher triangulation. Results: The data revealed 3 individual behavioral characteristics positively influenced the development of junior faculty through transition: (1) adaptive perfectionism, (2) competence gained through experience, and (3) the use of a mentor network. Our participants adapted personal expectations in light of outcomes that differed from personal standards; gained competence by seeking experience before, during, and after their doctoral studies; and used a mentor network to ease transition. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that individuals who are able to reflect on their performance and self-adjust personal standards and/or behaviors have a positive perception related to their ability to be successful during transition. Competence gained through experience apart from doctoral assistantships appears to facilitate the transition into higher education. Also, the creation and maintenance of a mentor network that provides a variety of support from multiple sources appears to improve transition by providing comradery, security, and help.

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 42-48 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas G. Bowman ◽  
Stephanie M. Mazerolle ◽  
Brianne F. Kilbourne

Context: New faculty are expected to teach, be productive scholars, and provide service in order to earn tenure, but few experience the full spectrum of faculty responsibility during doctoral preparation. Recent evidence suggests mentorship and orientation are important during role transition. However, how employers facilitate role transition for new faculty remains unclear. Objective: Examine the perspectives of junior faculty members' organizational socialization into higher education, specifically focusing on mentorship and orientation sessions. Design: Qualitative study. Setting: Fourteen higher education institutions. Patients or Other Participants: Sixteen junior faculty (7 male, 9 female; age = 32 ± 3.5 years) representing 7 National Athletic Trainers' Association districts participated. At the time of the interview, all participants were within their first 3 years of a full-time faculty position. Main Outcome Measure(s): All participants completed a semistructured telephone interview. The interview guide was focused on the experiences of junior faculty and was developed based upon the literature and purpose of the study. We analyzed the transcribed interviews using a general inductive approach. Results: Mentors provided support to assist in the transition to faculty positions on a variety of topics, although formal mentoring programs are identified as helpful only if a relationship develops. Regarding the second theme, participants noted orientation sessions organized by the institution or department that provided a clear overview of the position. However, despite their use, many described the orientation sessions as not providing essential information that would have been helpful. Additionally, tenure and promotion processes often had purposefully vague criteria regardless of how thorough the explanation, leading to stress. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that higher education administrators help new athletic training faculty transition by providing mentors and orientation sessions. Findings also suggest that these experiences, at times, are not comprehensive and caused the transition to academe to be stressful.


2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-32
Author(s):  
Stephanie M. Mazerolle ◽  
Thomas G. Bowman ◽  
Brianne F. Kilbourne

Context: Work-life balance has become a growing concern in athletic training, but little is known about the experiences of faculty and finding it. Challenges in finding work-life balance have been reported among faculty in higher education, and those who are new to a role are often susceptible to increased stress and overload. Objective: Examine junior athletic training faculty members' experiences with work-life balance during their role inductance. Design: Qualitative inquiry. Setting: Higher education institutions. Patients or Other Participants: Sixteen junior faculty (7 male, 9 female) representing 7 National Athletic Trainers' Association districts participated. The average age of the junior faculty members was 32 ± 3.5 years. Twelve were in tenure track and 4 had non–tenure track positions. Main Outcome Measure(s): All participants completed phone interviews with one researcher following a semistructured interview protocol. Recorded interviews were transcribed and analyzed following a phenomenological approach. We intentionally selected 3 primary measures of trustworthiness to establish the rigor of the study: (1) peer review, (2) multiple-analyst triangulation, and (3) researcher triangulation. Results: Three factors were identified as inhibitors of work-life balance for junior faculty: (1) role inductance, (2) research and teaching, and (3) upcoming deadlines. Two organizational strategies (flexibility and mentorship) and 2 individual strategies (time management and personal outlets) emerged as facilitators for work-life balance. Conclusions: Junior faculty in athletic training can experience conflict in balancing their roles as faculty members as well as their outside and own personal interests. The data support previous literature, and illustrates that organizational factors precipitate imbalance and a combination of organizational and individual strategies promote balance.


2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 152-162 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica L. Barrett ◽  
Stephanie M. Mazerolle ◽  
Sara L. Nottingham

Context: Although doctoral education provides ample opportunities for skill development, the new faculty member may still require further support and guidance. Mentorship is often the mechanism whereby continued encouragement is provided. Limited understanding exists of the mentoring relationships developed between a new faculty member and a seasoned one. Objective: To understand the mentoring relationship from the perspectives of new and seasoned faculty members who have engaged in mentoring relationships. Design: Qualitative study, phenomenology. Setting: Selected higher education institutions with Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education–accredited programs. Patients or Other Participants: From the National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA) Foundation Research Mentor program we successfully recruited 7 mentors (5 male, 2 female) and 7 mentees (2 male, 5 female). We additionally recruited 7 mentors (5 male, 2 female) and 7 mentees (2 male, 5 female) who had not completed the NATA Foundation Research Mentor program. Main Outcomes Measure(s): We completed semistructured phone interviews following an interview script. Interviews were transcribed and saturation was obtained. Analysis was grounded by the general inductive approach. Peer review and researcher triangulation were completed for trustworthiness. Results: Two major themes materialized: (1) positive mentoring relationships and (2) challenges. Three primary attributes emerged as necessary for positive mentoring relationships between new and experienced faculty members: (1) active engagement from both mentor and mentee (this theme was furthered divided by the subthemes of reciprocity, motivation, and availability), (2) communication, and (3) similar interests. Mentees' resistance to mentoring and mentors' time constraints emerged as challenges. Conclusions: Mentoring relationships develop when there is shared interest, ongoing communication, and an investment made by both parties. New faculty members may be resistant to mentoring because of struggles receiving feedback, while experienced faculty may have competing time constraints that limit availability.


Author(s):  
Sara Nottingham ◽  
Stephanie Mazerolle

Purpose: Mentorship is a valuable mechanism of socializing faculty members to higher education, but understanding of how mentoring relationships develop is limited. The purpose of this study was to seek a more complete understanding of how mentoring relationships develop for junior faculty members, and how these effective mentoring relationships can be fostered. Method: A qualitative, phenomenological design was used to examine junior athletic training faculty members’ experiences with mentoring. Twenty athletic training faculty members: 14 women, 6 men, 32±3 years of age and averaged 2.4±2.1 years as a full-time faculty member in an accredited athletic training program participated in this study. Participants completed one telephone interview, which was audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data were analyzed with an inductive phenomenological approach. Data saturation was obtained Trustworthiness strategies included peer review and the use of multi-analyst triangulation. Results: Junior faculty participated in informal and formal mentoring relationships that evolved over time, which aided their transition from doctoral student to full-time faculty member. Additionally, mentoring relationships were strengthened when participants took initiative, engaged in the relationship, and set clear goals. Mentors who exhibit good communication skills, willingness to participate, and genuine interest in the mentee are particularly valuable. Conclusions: Both formal and informal mentoring experiences appear to be valuable for junior faculty members, particularly informal relationships. If institutional mentoring programs are lacking then junior faculty should seek out additional mentoring opportunities. These findings also confirm existing literature on effective mentoring characteristics.


2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 268-280 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara L. Nottingham ◽  
Stephanie M. Mazerolle ◽  
Thomas G. Bowman ◽  
Kelly A. Coleman

Context: Evidence suggests that doctoral education is incongruent with faculty positions, but this has yet to be specifically examined in athletic training. Objective: To gain understanding of the alignment of doctoral education and faculty workload, including institutional characteristics, from the perspectives of junior faculty members. Design: Qualitative, phenomenological research. Setting: Higher education institutions with Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education–accredited programs. Patients or Other Participants: Twenty athletic training faculty members (14 women and 6 men) who were 32 ± 3 years of age and averaged 10 ± 4 years of experience as athletic trainers and 2 ± 2 years as a full-time faculty member. Main Outcome Measure(s): We developed, peer-reviewed, and piloted 2 semistructured interview guides to obtain participants' perspectives on their doctoral preparation, entrance into higher education, and faculty workload. We completed telephone interviews with each participant over the course of 4 months. Transcribed interviews were analyzed by 2 investigators using a phenomenological approach, then reviewed by 2 additional qualitative researchers. Mechanisms of trustworthiness included member-checking, multianalyst triangulation, and peer review. Results: Two themes emerged from this study: (1) workload and (2) congruency. Faculty workload was dominated by teaching, but faculty had several demands on their time, including administration, service, and research. Most faculty positions focused on teaching, whereas their doctoral education was more focused on research, possibly because of a lack of congruency between doctoral education and faculty position institution types. Although mismatches occurred between doctoral education and faculty workload, participants were often aware of these differences and selected faculty positions aligned with their career goals. Conclusions: Faculty workload is generally teaching-focused and contains additional demands that are often not included in doctoral education programs. Doctoral advisors should promote adequate socialization to these characteristics of faculty positions, and doctoral students should consider their interests and faculty workload when searching for faculty positions.


2017 ◽  
Vol 52 (10) ◽  
pp. 925-936 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas G. Bowman ◽  
Joanne C. Klossner ◽  
Stephanie M. Mazerolle

Context:  It is important to understand the process whereby athletic trainers learn about their future roles, particularly when the roles can be complex and demanding. Little is known about the experiences of athletic training doctoral students, including facilitators and barriers to socialization as aspiring faculty members. Objective:  To investigate factors influencing the anticipatory socialization of athletic training doctoral students into future faculty roles. Design:  Qualitative study. Setting:  Universities with athletic training doctoral students. Patients or Other Participants:  We recruited 28 students (19 women, 9 men, age = 28 ± 3 years) with a minimum of 1 year of doctoral coursework completed and participating in an assistantship at the time of the study to reach data saturation. Participants were certified for 6 ± 3 years and represented 5 National Athletic Trainers' Association districts and 9 institutions. Data Collection and Analysis:  We completed semistructured, 1-on-1 telephone interviews with participants. We transcribed each interview verbatim and analyzed the data using an inductive approach. Peer review, multiple-analyst triangulation, and member checks ensured trustworthiness. Results:  We uncovered 4 themes from our analysis related to facilitators and barriers to professional socialization. Participants described comprehensive autonomous experiences in research that allowed them to feel confident they could sustain a scholarly agenda. Independent experiences and lack of pedagogy training yielded mixed preparedness relative to teaching responsibilities. Limited formal experience led to incomplete role understanding related to the service component of the professoriate. Finally, with regard to the administrative duties associated with athletic training faculty positions, participants noted a lack of direct exposure to common responsibilities. Conclusions:  Role occupation in various aspects of the professoriate helped doctoral students prepare as future faculty members, although full role understanding was limited. Intentional exposure to research, teaching, service, and administrative expectations during doctoral experiences may facilitate the socialization of future athletic training faculty into academic roles.


Author(s):  
Mei-Yan Lu ◽  
Michael T. Miller ◽  
Richard E. Newman

This chapter addresses the challenges associated with college faculty members crossing international borders to be employed by higher education institutions. This process includes challenges associated with the technical aspects of recruiting and hiring faculty members of different nationalities and then the subsequent challenges of understanding cultural dynamics in the classroom and how faculty members can be prepared to deal with these cultural differences. The chapter includes a practical analysis of these issues and concludes with recommendations for the stronger institutional integration of transnational faculty to higher education institutions.


Author(s):  
Joseph Ezale Cobbinah ◽  
Samuel Agyemang

Quality management in higher education is one of the measures that institutions put in place to ensure that courses and programs that are offered meet international and accreditation standards. This chapter examines how academic leaders can promote and manage quality in higher education institutions. Higher education institutions and senior faculty members appear to improve performance by ensuring that quality assurance unit enforces effective delivery to increase students and parents' satisfaction. Promotion of quality and the management of quality is not about long service but an exhibition of effective leadership that will help higher education institutions to navigate through the turbulence of challenges facing higher education institutions today. To achieve this, the academic leader is supposed to assist institutions to pursue their vision and mission to enable them to effectively manage quality.


2022 ◽  
pp. 400-421
Author(s):  
Cynthia M. Montaudon- Tomas ◽  
Ingrid N. Pinto-López ◽  
Anna Amsler

This chapter describes the digital competencies that have become essential in the workforce and how higher education institutions (HEIs) are trying to keep up in a moment in which faculty members have been acquiring digital skills alongside students. A field study was conducted with faculty from HEIs in Mexico to identify the differences between the digital skills that faculty possessed previous to the pandemic and those acquired as a result of remote work. It also analyzes the digital tools they have been provided with to perform their jobs, the training they have received, and the digital skills that they still lack to help students acquire the digital competencies demanded in the workforce. The objective is to identify areas of opportunity and create general guidelines that will help develop critical digital skills. A literature review of the most relevant aspects of digital dexterity and digital competence in higher education (HE) is presented. An analysis of the current context and how it is producing changes faster than before is also included.


Author(s):  
Royce Robertson

Today, higher education institutions need to prepare for technology integration into even the most sacred of rituals: promotion and tenure for faculty members. A holistic approach is necessary to extract the practices and dispositions of the faculty and support providers. This chapter aims to define the Electronic Teaching Portfolio and to describe some conditions to satisfy before implementing a support system. Furthermore, the chapter describes the design and content of an ideal support system that is feasible to implement, given that the institution is willing to commit necessary resources.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document