Date

12-5-2022

Department

School of Education

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy

Chair

Jerry Vance Pickard

Keywords

tenure, promotion, scholarship, academic freedom, higher education, health profession faculty, phenomenology

Disciplines

Educational Leadership

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to explore the perception of scholarship requirements for faculty members teaching in Health Professions Programs (HPP) at a public institution of higher learning located in NYC. This research was guided by the self-determination theory (SDT), which examines how an individual's social interaction can influence different types of motivations. Guided by a central research question and two sub-questions, this study utilized a transcendental phenomenological approach to gain a better understanding of HPP faculty perceptions regarding the requirements for academic scholarship. Three different data collection approaches were used, including individual in-depth interviews, word association, and journal prompts, in order to provide a better representation of the data. The collected data were transcribed verbatim and analyzed via a qualitative inductive approach using thematic analysis. For better flow and ease of interpretation, the results were categorized into themes based on the three research questions. Seven major themes were derived from the data which include: the need for clearer policies, the impact of institutional support, the lack of standardization, preparedness for scholarship, unbalanced 3-legged stool, pressure to engage in passionless work, and a broader scope of scholarly activities. The main takeaway was that clinical and HPP faculty members at this institution experienced significant challenges and barriers along the reappointment, tenure, and promotion process. Recommendations to scrutinize and overhaul the process based on these challenges were strongly encouraged, to ensure the successful professional growth of these faculty members and create a positive institutional climate.

Download

Share

COinS