2019-2020 Faculty Research Grants

Anneris Coria-Navia and Scott Moncrieff (Teaching, Learning & Curriculum; English)

Effective Incentives for Faculty Participation in Professional Development in the Area of Teaching

Faculty participation in professional development in the area of teaching varies greatly by institution. While the most important motivations for improved teaching may be internal, the literature shows that institutions use incentives ranging from monetary compensation to awards. These incentives target a large range of factors that may influence motivation for faculty participation in development programs with the purpose of increasing participation. The larger and more resourceful institutions generally offer more robust incentives for participation. The nature of small liberal arts institutions and the financial constraints often prevent them from such developed systems of incentives. However, there are not enough studies that conclusively inform faculty developers what factors motivate faculty to participate in professional development activities in the area of teaching. This mixed methods study seeks to document motivation to participate in faculty development in four small liberal arts institutions and two large research institutions.