Community college faculty, 4-year university faculty and the student voice Engaging Faculty through Partnership Savita Malik, Cynthia Fong, Arai Buendia CSU Teaching Symposium February 23, 2013

Overview Welcome Purpose of the study The problem Research questions Methodology Our reflections as participants in the approach Conclusions and audience participation

Purpose of the study Focus on faculty Faculty Learning Community (FLC) and elevating teaching Our roles Metro as a case study

The problem Post-secondary education is the only segment of education in the United States in which instructors are never taught to teach For the educators in the room, how many of you had formal education on how to teach?

The Metro FLC

Metro Health and Early Childhood Education FLC (at CCSF and SF State) Cross institution meetings (9-12 hrs/semester) Within institution meetings (3 hrs/semester) Classroom observations (3 hrs/semester)

Research Questions How do faculty learning communities affect higher education teaching practices? What motivates people to teach in a faculty learning community? What are the struggles that faculty members face in striving to be better instructors? How does participation in a faculty learning community influence teaching practice? In what ways do they have an influence?

Methods 15 one-on-one interviews 6 CCSF, 5 SF State and 4 that worked equally between both institutions minutes, on average, with open-ended questions Interviews were recorded and transcribed in their entirety

Student Reflections Opportunity to interact in a research setting Learned about research work: Quantitative v Qualitative Findings: understanding the teacher perspective Worked with faculty members & contributed insight

Community College Faculty Reflections The research process was dependent on collaboration of students and faculty. Student and faculty perspectives informed “other ways” to look at research data. Having participated in this process I have more tools to continue build my faculty learning community of students, faculty, and department.

What do faculty need to become better instructors? Institutional or Structural Level Training Community Time and space to reflect on our teaching practice Process-Oriented Help moving toward more engaged teaching Support in growing our critical consciousness

Finding meaning Transformation of how we teach Embracing fears and struggles that the FLC both addresses and creates Focus on views of students, as whole individuals with complexity that exists beyond classroom walls

Our contact info Savi Malik Cynthia Fong Arai Buendia