<p> The role of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in higher education has increased in recent years, and most university administrators consider ICT important in effective teaching practices. While administrators encourage the use of ICT, many teachers do not use technology. Most studies regarding ICT have been concerned with the practices of full-time faculty. This is problematic, since adjunct faculty members are becoming a growing and influential presence on college campuses, and research suggests that factors unique to adjuncts may create barriers to ICT implementation. A review of the available literature indicates that the body of knowledge regarding adjunct faculty members' perceptions toward ICT implementation is limited. The purpose of this quantitative, non-experimental study was to investigate the degree to which differences or variations in gender, teaching discipline, average number of courses taught per semester, and perceived barriers to ICT use are related to adjunct faculty members' reported ICT integration into teaching and perceptions of ICT use to improve teaching. Data were collected via an anonymous, Internet-based survey administered to a random sample (n = 186) of part-time faculty who were on the contact list of New Faculty Majority: The National Coalition for Adjunct and Contingency Equity. Multiple linear regression analysis was conducted, one for each dependent variable. Statistically significant correlations were found between reported ICT integration into teaching and average number of courses taught per semester, (β = .17, <i> t</i>(141) = 2.12, <i>p</i> = .04), as well as perceived barriers to ICT use (β = -.22, <i>t</i>(141) = -2.72, <i>p</i> =.01). Statistically significant correlations also were found between perceptions of ICT use to improve teaching and perceived barriers to ICT use, (β = .49, <i>t</i>(152) = 7.05, <i>p</i> =.00), as well as teaching discipline, (β = .23, <i>t</i>(152) = 3.32, <i> p</i> = .00). Based on the results, it is recommended that institutions implement mentoring and training policies to encourage best practices in ICT implementation. To expand the results of the study, future research is recommended to replicate the study using a larger sample, compare perceptions of adjunct faculty members with full-time, and examine differences in low-level and high-level ICT use.</p>
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:PROQUEST/oai:pqdtoai.proquest.com:3618691 |
| Date | 11 June 2014 |
| Creators | Reilly, Catherine A. |
| Publisher | Northcentral University |
| Source Sets | ProQuest.com |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | thesis |
Page generated in 0.009 seconds