ERIC Number: ED664209
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2024
Pages: 281
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: 979-8-3467-3869-5
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EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Empowering Adjunct Faculty: A Case Study Examining the Effects of an Instructional Coaching Program on Online Instructor Presence across Career Stages in a Community College Environment
Linda S. Neff
ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, Arizona State University
Community college adjunct faculty, who teach a majority of first-year courses at community colleges, face varied challenges related to limited access to ongoing support. This qualitative study examined the effects of an instructional coaching program on community college adjunct faculty's self-efficacy and ability to enhance instructor presence in online courses. Using a multiple case study research design, I investigated the impact of an instructional coaching program on two early-career (12 years) online adjunct faculty. Self-Efficacy Theory guided interpretation for the thematic analysis of coaching session transcripts (Bandura, 1997, 2005). Additionally, the Community of Inquiry model and Richardson et al.'s (2015) operationalization of Instructor Presence enabled a systematic content analysis of faculty-student interactions recorded in pre- and post-intervention archived courses (Garrison et al., 2000). Findings revealed self-efficacy gains across career stages, with early-career faculty demonstrating a stronger willingness to adopt new technologies such as AI, resulting in significant improvements in their self-efficacy and application of newly acquired knowledge and skills. Mid- to late-career faculty expressed higher perceived confidence from their extensive face-to-face teaching experience with a more cautious and thoughtful approach to implementing new teaching strategies in their course. These results confirm that ongoing professional development catered to the distinct needs of adjunct faculty across different career stages leads to substantial improvements in online instruction and student learning, promoting a stronger sense of belonging and contributing to improved retention rates. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]
Descriptors: Adjunct Faculty, Faculty Development, Community Colleges, Online Courses, Self Efficacy, Beginning Teachers, Content Analysis, Coaching (Performance), Teacher Improvement, Teacher Student Relationship, Experienced Teachers
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Publication Type: Dissertations/Theses - Doctoral Dissertations
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education; Two Year Colleges
Audience: N/A
Language: English
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