There is a shortage of qualified community college technical instructors in new and
emerging technologies. The purpose of this study was to investigate the barriers that may
affect the decision of semiconductor specialists to teach part-time at community colleges.
The desired outcome is to enable community colleges to increase the pool of part-time
faculty from the semiconductor industry. This study identified four primary barriers that
could affect an individual's decision to teach: (a) interest in teaching, (b) self-efficacy,
(c) awareness of teaching opportunities, and (d) faculty development.
As community colleges seek to fill the increasing demand for part-time technical
instructors, industry seeks to increase its ranks of technical employees. A survey of
technical specialists from the semiconductor industry showed high levels of professional
experience, interest in teaching, and various experiences in teaching. An important
finding of this study, however, was the overwhelming lack of awareness (83%, n=76)
of teaching opportunities at community colleges. If community colleges are to increase
their pool of part-time technical faculty, it is necessary for technical specialists to be
aware that part-time teaching positions are available. If industry is to fill its growing need
for qualified technical specialists, it should be willing to share some of the talent of its best
employees with the community. / Graduation date: 1997
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ORGSU/oai:ir.library.oregonstate.edu:1957/34468 |
| Date | 11 December 1996 |
| Creators | Smith, David E., 1943- |
| Contributors | Stern, Sam |
| Source Sets | Oregon State University |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis/Dissertation |
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