A survey of 59 faculty at two very different colleges investigated assumptions and influences on them as they worked with colleagues in planning program curriculum. While some common factors influenced course and program planning, program planning was irregular or infrequent compared to course planning, typically responded to a specific catalyst,…

This study examined intellectual development goals as related to other goals expressed by college faculty teaching various introductory courses. Intellectual development was defined as the ability to make relationships and connections. The study analyzed data from previous studies of introductory college courses; these included interviews in…

To discover how courses are planned and taught, faculty and their students at three community colleges, two liberal arts colleges, two comprehensive universities, and one doctoral university were interviewed with a protocol based on current theories of course design. Their candid responses indicate that academic content, materials, student…

Studied 44 academic departments judged by provosts to be engaged in effective curriculum planning to identify practices of continuous curriculum planning. Identifies 4 criteria and 20 indicators for assessing continuous program planning in a department. (SLD)

A study explored faculty views about curriculum planning in academic programs. Fifty-nine faculty members at two very different university campuses (one a small private college with a recent history of faculty-administrative strife, the other a large regional public university with a recently-mandated statewide curriculum review and anticipated…

Tested the curriculum leadership framework that Stark and Lattuca adapted from Quinn's competing values model of management styles. Chairpersons of departments nominated as effective in curriculum planning answered a survey about their leadership activities and styles. Factor analysis partially supported the model. Activities that chairs reported…

Forty-four chairpersons of departments judged by academic vice presidents at randomly selected institutions to be engaged in especially effective curriculum planning were interviewed about their roles. The interviews suggested seven leadership roles used in the curriculum development process; they varied by institutional type, department size, and…

A national survey of faculty (N=2,311) teaching introductory college courses revealed 10 factors influencing course planning including: discipline-related content, student characteristics, facilities, resources, and campus support services. The strength of these influences differed substantially by discipline but only modestly by institutional…

A generic conceptual framework is presented to guide study of preservice collegiate professional preparation programs. Research based on the scheme can help to improve program self-study and external reviews, clarify educational goals, and foster collaboration across fields of professional study. (Author/MLW)

Faculty beliefs about educational purpose and the nature of their academic field strongly influence how they plan introductory courses. Significantly different conceptions of educational purpose among faculty in different fields may inhibit agreement on plans for curricular coherence and ways of communicating expectations to students. Interviews…

A study delineated patterns of degree study and subsequent career development of master's degree recipients in education from the University of Michigan. Preliminary answers were sought on: (1) students' decisions to pursue a master's degree in education; (2) work and study patterns students followed since receiving the master's degree; (3) career…

Content analysis of task force reports on improving the undergraduate major in 10 liberal arts disciplines revealed that each discipline's epistemological character strongly influenced methodology, pedagogy, and curricular innovation, consistent with previous theory and research on disciplines. The role of these factors and pragmatic…

This report summarizes the results of the Planning Introductory College Courses study which examined influences on course planning among U.S. faculty members. The study was built on exploratory interviews conducted in the 1986-87 Course Planning Exploration survey with 89 faculty members. Major findings show that when planning introductory…

In this working paper on needed research issues, areas of inquiry are grouped in a way that parallels the programs of the National Center for Research in Postsecondary Teaching and Learning (NCRIPTAL); additional categories are also cited. The following topics are addressed: (1) issues of student learning (participation and involvement,…

The process of developing informational prospectuses to convey information to prospective students at 11 institutions is illustrated by the experiences at three different institutions: a public university in California; a state university in an Oregon metropolis; and a large, two-campus, suburban community college in Michigan. These case studies…