Date of Award
Fall 8-27-2021
Document Type
Dissertation (799 registration)
Degree Name
Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership
Department
Graduate Studies
Committee Chair
Dr. Boyd Bradbury
Keywords
community college, faculty, phenomenology, teaching, service, scholarly work
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to explore how community college faculty described their lived experiences concerning their work. Specifically, the study examined faculty work in terms of teaching, service, and other scholarly work. A phenomenological approach was taken to understand the individuals’ shared experience of being faculty at a community college. Data was gathered through eight individual virtual, semi-structured interviews with unlimited-full time faculty who were recruited via email from a faculty union representative on their campus. All the participants within the study were from community colleges in the Minnesota State system. Participants were assigned numbers to ensure anonymity in the interviews. This study utilized Judge, Locke & Durham’s (1997) Core Self-Evaluations Theory as a theoretical framework that guided the data collection and analysis. Although this theory provided the researcher with concepts to look for, the analysis of the data was not constrained or limited by this framework. The findings of the study provide insight, through their own voices, into the lived experiences of community college faculty. The findings also inform recommendations for actions included in the study.
Recommended Citation
Lawton, Patria, "Elevating the voices of community college faculty: A phenomenological study of community college work" (2021). Dissertations, Theses, and Projects. 576.
https://red.mnstate.edu/thesis/576