Date of Award

Fall 12-18-2013

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Middle-Secondary Education and Instructional Technology

First Advisor

Brendan Calandra, Ph.D

Second Advisor

Stephen W. Harmon, Ph.D

Third Advisor

Jennifer Esposito, Ph.D

Fourth Advisor

Laurie Dias, Ph.D

Abstract

This phenomenological study examined the lived experience of five (5) tenured university faculty members over a ten-year span of their professional lives. The purpose of this study was to better understand the lived experience of tenured university faculty, particularly how they negotiated experiences related to the combined influences of technology, tenure, and teaching. While some have suggested that university faculty do not have the necessary skills to transition to this emerging technological era (McKee & Tew, 2013), this study did not attempt to make judgments about whether or not college faculty were prepared to shift their approach to teaching, nor whether such a shift was even necessary. Instead, the study was guided by the following questions: How did a group of tenured faculty negotiate which technologies entered their work and home life?; and How did factors inside and outside of the university shape this experience? Results suggested that technology changed only minor aspects of what it meant to be tenured faculty in higher education; however, the changes and the extent of the changes varied from person to person. This study suggested that factors such as gender, university administration, tenure and the tenure process, and home life played a larger role in the lifeworlds of these faculty. This study adds to the literature on how technology influences university faculty, but it also provides insight to those in higher education charged with supporting faculty use of technology (i.e., instructional designers, technology support staff).

DOI

https://doi.org/10.57709/4842227

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