Community College Faculty as Pedagogical Innovators: How the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) Stimulates Innovation in the Classroom

Contextualize to learn: How 2‐year college faculty navigate professional development and curricular reform around mathematics teaching and learning

“…In the area of math instruction, contextualization provides students with both strategies for problem solving and ways to apply math that might otherwise escape them, leading to new connections to be formed as they work through challenging materials. Further, since many community college faculty teaching math enter the profession from multiple pathways (Burns, 2017), bringing their work experiences with them (Wagner et al., 2021), contextualization presents an optimal venue from which they can draw on their experiences to help students make connections between academics and careers. However, few community college instructors begin teaching having engaged in specific training that encompasses active learning, including contextualization.…”

How adjunct faculty understand and apply learner-centered pedagogy

“…However, there has been a significant gap in the evaluation practices for full-time versus adjunct faculty. Full-timers have been more frequently subjected to annual reviews, classroom observations, and teaching standards related to reappointment and tenure decisions (Burns, 2017). Most adjuncts have never been evaluated by administrators or faculty (Jolley et al, 2014;Waltman et al, 2012).…”

“…This was particularly concerning given that adjuncts are frequently assigned to teach high-need students, such as underclassmen in introductory and remedial courses and first-generation college students (Gehrke & Kezar, 2015). Although teacher preparation has been lacking for all faculty, it is more common for tenure faculty to have received training in teaching, served as teaching assistants under the supervision of tenured professors, performed teaching demonstrations during the hiring process, benefited from systematic orientation, professional development, evaluation, and mentoring, and been subjected to the accountability of reappointment and tenure-related standards for teaching (Burns, 2017).…”

“…The lack of training meant that faculty were unaware of shortcomings in their teaching and perceived little need for improvement (Tagg, 2019). Although teacher preparation was lacking for all college faculty, it was largely absent for new adjuncts (Burns, 2017). Adjuncts have been historically hired for their content expertise and practitioner experience.…”

“…However, adjuncts have little opportunity to benefit from orientation, professional development, and evaluation that would support the cultivation of their pedagogical practices (Lydon & King, 2009). Although training in learner-centered pedagogy may be lacking for fulltime faculty, it is largely nonexistent for adjuncts (Burns, 2017). Rates of adjunct reliance are greatest at public and nonselective, private colleges, and these institutions are on the front lines of addressing access and equity issues in higher education.…”