A mixed methods study of the implications of academic change related managerial decisions on university faculty teaching effectiveness and student success
Determining why and what motivates students to succeed is a prominent question in today’s educational arena. Often accountability measures cycle around the classroom teacher, their preparation, and perceived effectiveness. To assure that teachers have adequate knowledge, minimum grade point averages are required from accredited institutions. Teacher preparation is carefully monitored by NCATE (National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education). Each state uses a similar process for awarding initial teaching certificates. Teaching certificates are issued after candidates have completed a rigorous curriculum and proven that they possess the qualities and dispositions of effective teaching. Unfortunately, very few assessments exist to measure teacher effectiveness among tenured faculty. The primary measure used to evaluate teacher performance after initial certification is quantitative data from standardized testing of students. Similarly, the promotion and tenure process dictates the criteria for evaluating teaching and scholarly productivity at the college level. Attributes of scholarly productivity are directly related to the new professor; however, student outcomes and evaluations play a key role in the overall perceived effectiveness of the teacher (instructor), untenured assistant professor. The purpose of this study is to determine how administrative decisions impact student outcomes and teacher effectiveness. Throughout each step in the methodology, continual synthesis was utilized to determine the connection between, extant data sets such as grade distribution and student progress, and instructor/professor perceptions about the effects of managerialism. Through this process patterns of decision making can be identified and linked to emerging themes and connections. The study yielded results to support the theory that administrators and managers in academic settings do impact teaching effectiveness and student outcomes. Due to the fact that administrators rarely have direct instructional contact with students whom they are not the instructor of record, the connection to student outcomes is a direct result of the perception of managerialism. University faculty members who perceived that their input was valued during change were receptive to the changes that occurred. This study could be replicated across any university campus and is not limited to a college of education.
university faculty teaching effectiveness, academic decision making, managerialism, student success, managerial decisions, accountability
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