Junior Faculty Perceptions of their Doctoral Level Teaching Preparation: A Cross Disciplinary Examination

<p>It seems reasonable to assume that the realization of the doctoral degree denotes that one is proficient in college teaching. However, the literature indicates that doctoral programs are failing to adequately prepare doctoral students for teaching in collegiate settings. The seminal work on doctoral student experiences suggests that doctoral programs are adequately preparing doctoral students for their research function, but concerns emerge around teacher preparation. Four bodies of literature inform this study: (a) the literature on the teaching role in higher education (b) the literature on doctoral students’ experiences as it relates to their teaching preparation (c) the literature on new faculty socialization (d) and the literature on the nature of academic disciplines and their differences as it relates to faculty work. The study fills a gap in the literature by examining junior faculty perceptions of their doctoral level teaching-related preparation by taking a cross disciplinary approach of eight disciplines (four high consensus and four low consensus). The omnibus question this study seeks to address is whether or not there are discipline differences in junior faculty perceptions of their doctoral level preparation for college teaching. The study employed a quantitative approach in collecting data using a survey design. The sample for the study was delimited to junior faculty in political science, sociology, psychology, economics, physics, chemistry, biology and geology from the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) Four-Year 1 institutions. An instrument developed by Hall (2007) which measures counselor educators’ perception of their doctoral level teaching preparation was modified for the purpose of data collection. Contact information for junior faculty in selected disciplines was collected from SREB Four-Year 1 institutions. Findings reveal an anti-teaching culture embedded within research institutions and also significant discipline differences in overall perceptions of doctoral level teaching preparation. The findings of this study provide higher education leaders and faculty with empirical results which could inform the training of doctoral students for their college teaching role.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Educational Leadership, Counseling, and Foundations

Year

2011

Author dc:creator

• Reneau, Franz

Contributors dc:contributor

• Dr. Marietta Del Favero
• Dr. Andre Perry
• Dr. Claire Thoreson

• Discipline Difference, Teaching Preparation, New Faculty, Doctoral Level Teaching Preparation
• Higher Education Administration

Repository record dc:identifier

https://scholarworks.uno.edu/td/1411

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:scholarworks.uno.edu:td-2339