The Relationship Between Experience and Self–Perceptions of Knowledge and Relevance of Teaching Competencies of Faculty in a College of Agricultural and Life Sciences

Abstract

There has been a call for faculty at academic institutions to improve the quality of their educational programs. Previous research findings have found that the size and focus of the institution impacts the quality and resources given to instructional activities. However, it has been noted that traditionally research-focused institutions now are beginning to appreciate the role and importance of their academic programs. Researchers designed this study to describe the differences existing among faculty’s self– perceived knowledge and relevance of teaching competencies to deliver academic programs. A web–based questionnaire designed with three distinct set of questions regarding instructional and teaching needs was administered to a convenience sample of College of Agricultural and Life Sciences faculty at the University of Florida. Faculty reported low self–perceptions in the area of distance delivery. Characteristics such as faculty \ appointment and rank were found to impact perceptions toward teaching as well. Recommendations for further research and programmatic development were provided.