Date of Award

2008

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

PHD - Doctor of Philosophy

Department

Education

Abstract

This qualitative study investigates the professional development experiences part-time faculty identify as positive. The purpose is to examine how positive professional development experiences inform part-time faculty's subsequent teaching, and what relational qualities if any are present in those positive experiences. Nine part-time faculty - five women and four men - ages 27 to 64, with teaching experience ranging from 3 to 20 years, responded to questions designed from Cooperrider's Appreciative Inquiry model. Conceptual frameworks include the adult development/adult learning interface and relational theory and its application in psychological and educational settings. Participants' positive experiences and how these experiences inform their subsequent teaching are analyzed using a grounded theory approach. The presence of relational qualities m participants' experiences is explored using narrative analysis. A general professional development model that acknowledges, supports, and takes into account this population's wide-ranging needs is presented. This study suggests two findings. First, participants identified experiences that took place over one week to a number of years, and were characterized by one or more sustained relationships, either with one other person or a small group of people. Further, these relationships were characterized by one or more relational qualities. The recognition/acknowledgement faculty experienced led to a sense of freedom. The sustained aspect of the experience encouraged more recognition/acknowledgement reinforced bringing deeper levels of freedom.

Language

English

Number of Pages

194

Embargo Period

6-6-2017

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The author owns the copyright to this work.