The purpose of this study was to examine the factors influencing the decisions of Canadian faculty members to choose, and remain in, academe. In addition, the study examined why faculty chose to work, and remain, at their current institution. The role of some factors in faculty decisions to become and remain as academics was examined. The study also sought participants views on ways in which Canadian universities can attract and retain young individuals in academe.<p>
This study is a case study of faculty at the University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon. Gerring (2004) defined a case study as an intensive study of a single unit with an aim to generalize or transfer findings across a larger set of units. In understanding the factors influencing the decisions of Canadian faculty to choose and remain in academe, this study concentrated on one among others (Stake, 2005, p. 444) faculty members at the University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon. All faculty members at the University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon were invited to participate in the study through the University of Saskatchewans Personalized Access to Web Services (PAWS). Participants were provided with a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) link that directed them to complete the survey instrument. A total of ninety two faculty members participated in the survey. The data were collected between the months of October 2007 and May 2008.<p>
It was found in the study that an individuals decision to pursue an academic career is a product of interrelated factors that are personal, social and environmental. The study found that motivations for pursuing an academic career are both intrinsic and extrinsic, but largely intrinsic. The study found that graduate school experience played an important role in participants decisions to become faculty members, and that financial considerations were unimportant in participants decisions to become faculty members. The study found that mentoring and awareness creation about the professoriate are important in attracting and retaining young individuals in academe.<p>
This study has implications for universities, graduate programs and graduate faculty that could better enable aspiring faculty envision the professoriate and its demands. Educating aspiring faculty about the professoriate will provide them a rich, full understanding of academic life and faculty careers (Austin, 2002, p. 109). The study has an implication for aspiring faculty that the love of ones field and the desire to teach and do research is a pre-requisite for becoming a faculty member. The study found that an individuals decision to become a faculty is not exclusively influenced by personal or environmental factors, but by interrelated factors that are personal, social and environmental. An implication of the study is that a more interactive and holistic approach to understanding career decisions is necessary in academe. Such an interactive and holistic approach will provide a basis for understanding how to attract and retain young individuals in academe.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:SSU.etd-08272009-171228 |
| Date | 17 September 2009 |
| Creators | Oshoneye, Olalekan Jacobs |
| Contributors | Walker, Keith, Noonan, Warren, Pickard, Garth, Haines, Leonard, Carr-Stewart, Sheila, Renihan, Patrick, Scudds, Rhonda |
| Publisher | University of Saskatchewan |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | http://library.usask.ca/theses/available/etd-08272009-171228/ |
| Rights | restricted, I hereby certify that, if appropriate, I have obtained and attached hereto a written permission statement from the owner(s) of each third party copyrighted matter to be included in my thesis, dissertation, or project report, allowing distribution as specified below. I certify that the version I submitted is the same as that approved by my advisory committee. I hereby grant to University of Saskatchewan or its agents the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible, under the conditions specified below, my thesis, dissertation, or project report in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. I retain all other ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis, dissertation or project report. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis, dissertation, or project report. |
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