Nancy L. Leech, Kara Mitchell Viesca and Carolyn A. Haug
The purpose of this paper is to investigate higher education faculty’s motivation to teach and to validate the Factors Influencing Teaching Choice (FIT-Choice) survey with this…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate higher education faculty’s motivation to teach and to validate the Factors Influencing Teaching Choice (FIT-Choice) survey with this population.
Design/methodology/approach
Confirmatory factor analysis and t-tests on data from 101 higher education faculty and data from K-12 teachers show that the two samples fit the model similarly.
Findings
Results show that the similarities between the two groups are important to note as it suggests both the value of the FIT-Choice instrument as a research tool in higher education as well as the similarities in motivating factors between higher education faculty and in-service K-12 teachers.
Originality/value
This is one of the first studies to use the FIT-Choice scale with university education faculty.
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Nancy L. Leech, Jessica Schnittka and Carolyn A. Haug
The purpose of this paper is to investigate motivation to teach for higher education faculty within schools of education.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate motivation to teach for higher education faculty within schools of education.
Design/methodology/approach
This study utilized survey research methods to collect data from higher education faculty at nine universities identified from the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of teaching website.
Findings
The predictor variables of gender, years of teaching in higher education, percent of overall workload devoted to teaching and two dummy variables for type of institution (i.e. doctoral granting and research II institution) when considered together did not statistically significantly predict whether or not a faculty person achieved tenure with outstanding teaching. In total, 14 of the factors influencing teaching (FIT)-choice scale components statistically significantly predicted whether or not a faculty person achieved tenure with outstanding teaching, only social dissuasion statistically significantly added to the model.
Originality/value
This is the first study to use the FIT-choice scale with university education faculty, and the findings suggest that higher education faculty may be motivated to produce high-quality instruction based on different factors than K-12 teachers.
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Nancy L. Leech and Carolyn A. Haug
This paper aims to compare the psychometric properties of the Research Motivation Scale (RMS) from faculty in schools of education in American research universities to previous…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to compare the psychometric properties of the Research Motivation Scale (RMS) from faculty in schools of education in American research universities to previous findings on this scale when administered to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) faculty.
Design/methodology/approach
This study was an exploratory, quantitative study using survey research methods, and utilizing confirmatory and exploratory factor analyses and statistical tests of population differences.
Findings
Results indicate an adequate fit to a previously found three-factor structure. However, a new four-factor model, accounting for 47 per cent of the variance, was identified as a better fit: failure avoidance, intrinsic reward – satisfaction, intrinsic reward – joy and extrinsic reward. The overall reliability for the entire measure was 0.76. Intrinsic motivation and failure avoidance were rated statistically more important by education faculty than STEM faculty.
Research limitations/implications
As an exploratory study and because of the chosen research approach, generalizations may be limited and further research in this area is recommended.
Practical implications
This study contributes to the literature on RMS with data from education faculty. Results support conceptual frameworks regarding faculty outcomes and professional growth, and suggest ways faculty may be encouraged to increase research productivity.
Social implications
This paper includes implications for societal support for research institutions by modeling factors that affect faculty motivations to produce research and thereby increase institutional productivity.
Originality/value
This study builds on conceptual frameworks, explores the use of the RMS with education faculty and compares faculty motivation to conduct research across disciplines.
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Hasan Tutar, Mehmet Şahin and Teymur Sarkhanov
The lack of a definite standard for determining the sample size in qualitative research leaves the research process to the initiative of the researcher, and this situation…
Abstract
Purpose
The lack of a definite standard for determining the sample size in qualitative research leaves the research process to the initiative of the researcher, and this situation overshadows the scientificity of the research. The primary purpose of this research is to propose a model by questioning the problem of determining the sample size, which is one of the essential issues in qualitative research. The fuzzy logic model is proposed to determine the sample size in qualitative research.
Design/methodology/approach
Considering the structure of the problem in the present study, the proposed fuzzy logic model will benefit and contribute to the literature and practical applications. In this context, ten variables, namely scope of research, data quality, participant genuineness, duration of the interview, number of interviews, homogeneity, information strength, drilling ability, triangulation and research design, are used as inputs. A total of 20 different scenarios were created to demonstrate the applicability of the model proposed in the research and how the model works.
Findings
The authors reflected the results of each scenario in the table and showed the values for the sample size in qualitative studies in Table 4. The research results show that the proposed model's results are of a quality that will support the literature. The research findings show that it is possible to develop a model using the laws of fuzzy logic to determine the sample size in qualitative research.
Originality/value
The model developed in this research can contribute to the literature, and in any case, it can be argued that determining the sample volume is a much more effective and functional model than leaving it to the initiative of the researcher.
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Lars Engwall, Enno Aljets, Tina Hedmo and Raphaël Ramuz
Computer corpus linguistics (CCL) is a scientific innovation that has facilitated the creation and analysis of large corpora in a systematic way by means of computer technology…
Abstract
Computer corpus linguistics (CCL) is a scientific innovation that has facilitated the creation and analysis of large corpora in a systematic way by means of computer technology since the 1950s. This article provides an account of the CCL pioneers in general but particularly of those in Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Switzerland. It is found that Germany and Sweden, due to more advantageous financing and weaker communities of generativists, had a faster adoption of CCL than the other two countries. A particular late adopter among the four was Switzerland, which did not take up CCL until foreign professors had been recruited.
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Nadine Arnold and Fabien Foureault
Status distinctions matter among heterogeneous organizations within a socio-environmental field. This is exemplified in the food waste field, where six types of organizations…
Abstract
Status distinctions matter among heterogeneous organizations within a socio-environmental field. This is exemplified in the food waste field, where six types of organizations employ different excess strategies to address the issue. Theoretically, we propose that status is constructed internally through advice relationships and externally through evaluations. We posit that organizations conducting evaluations and advocating legitimate principles based on expertise (i.e., Others) are status winners. Our mixed-method study confirms that Others hold privileged positions and identifies status inconsistencies. By critically illuminating these status dynamics, we contribute to a better understanding of the roles of organizations and status in tackling socio-environmental issues.
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Ibrahim Duyar, Nancy Ras and Carolyn L. Pearson
Teachers constitute one of the largest groups of knowledge workers. The purpose of this paper is to examine the antecedents and outcomes of teachers’ task and extra-role…
Abstract
Purpose
Teachers constitute one of the largest groups of knowledge workers. The purpose of this paper is to examine the antecedents and outcomes of teachers’ task and extra-role performance (ERP) under two different autonomy regimes in charter and regular public schools. A special emphasis was given to the ERP of teachers. Both the predictors and outcomes of teacher work performance were comparatively investigated in these two different school environments.
Design/methodology/approach
By applying a social-cognitive perspective and a causal comparative design, the study comparatively tested the reciprocal relationships among the study variables in public and charter schools. The clustered sample included 812 public school teachers and 112 charter school teachers.
Findings
The findings revealed that the predictors and outcomes of teachers’ task and ERP have differing dynamics in these two distinct types of public schools. The School Type, which represented the differences in school autonomy between public and charter schools, appeared to be the strongest differentiating factor across two groups of schooling. Both types of teacher performance (task and extra role) in charter schools outweighed their counterparts in public schools. Similarities and differences were observed on the predictors and outcomes of teacher work performance.
Originality/value
The current study contributed to the scant literature on the effects of school autonomy on teacher task and ERP. A clear understanding on the predictors and outcomes of teacher work performance under two different school autonomy regimes may guide practitioners and policymakers in their efforts to bring public schools to a more competitive edge.
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Joyce Payne and Aurelia Stephen
If you are 30 or older, you are middle‐aged by someone's criteria. When the college students of the 1970s declared “Don't trust anyone over 30,” did you think they would be…
Abstract
If you are 30 or older, you are middle‐aged by someone's criteria. When the college students of the 1970s declared “Don't trust anyone over 30,” did you think they would be someday talking about you? And what about those who say “Life begins at 40”? Did you ever believe them?
Kara Mitchell Viesca, Margarita Bianco and Nancy Leech
This chapter describes a precollegiate course designed to encourage high school students of color to explore teaching and presents the findings from case studies on two Black male…
Abstract
This chapter describes a precollegiate course designed to encourage high school students of color to explore teaching and presents the findings from case studies on two Black male students enrolled in the course who are now preparing to pursue a career in teaching. The research questions guiding the two case studies include: (a) What factors influence Black males to consider teaching? (b) What roles do race, ethnicity, and school experiences play in Black males’ exploration of teaching? and (c) What aspects of the course are most influential in Black males’ exploration of teaching and related fields? The results of these case studies expose the complexity of effective recruitment of Black male teachers. The insights provided by these two teens can provide substantial guidance for the improvement of educational policy and practice in order to increase the recruitment and retention of Black male teachers.