ERIC Number: ED653596
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2024
Pages: 127
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: 979-8-3827-5124-5
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Capacity for Change: Accounting for Faculty Technical Fluency in Open Educational Resource Adoption Decisions
Stephen Puklin
ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, Northern Arizona University
The traditional textbook model is problematic for students who either buy expensive textbooks and add to their already considerable student debt, opt out of buying expensive textbooks, or opt out of enrolling in courses known to require expensive textbooks. Switching to open textbooks directly addresses these problems by decreasing costs, removing barriers to higher education, and improving student success. The purpose of this study was to address the lack of empirical, qualitative data describing how, in higher education, the ways that we prepare faculty for open textbook adoption affect their dispositions, and how those dispositions in turn affect faculty buy-in for open educational resource (OER) initiatives. This study addressed the research gap by gathering first-hand stories of residential English and reading faculty at Xavier Community College of their professional development experiences in preparation for the adoption of open textbooks, how those training experiences influenced their dispositions toward open textbooks, and the extent to which those dispositions influenced how (or if) they persisted in using open textbooks in the courses they teach. Participants described challenges in using open textbooks, their professional development experiences, their resulting attitudes toward open textbooks, and the ways in which those attitudes influence their continued use of open textbooks. The findings align with Rogers' Diffusion of Innovations Theory (2003) and Cox and Trotter's (2017a, 2017b) OER Adoption Pyramid, emphasizing the impact of social networks and technical capacity building. Analysis of the data revealed an interesting anti-establishment tone to the participants' narratives which aligns with both the existing literature and the established campus culture at XCC. Additionally, the participants seem appreciative of, yet disinterested in, the OER-related training offered at the college. Their narratives suggest a preference for a very do-it-yourself path for OER-related professional development that relies more on mutual aid than on college resources that illuminate the value of community within their context and holds implications for the future open textbook adoption beyond the context of the English and Reading Departments at Xavier Community College. [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: Technological Literacy, Open Educational Resources, Adoption (Ideas), Teacher Characteristics, Language Arts, English Instruction, Reading Instruction, Community Colleges, Faculty Development, Textbooks, Textbook Selection, Student Costs, Teacher Attitudes
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Publication Type: Dissertations/Theses - Doctoral Dissertations
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education; Two Year Colleges
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A