The Sea Change in Locus of Control for Mid-Career Faculty: From External to Internal

• In Event: 47.044 - Faculty at Mid-Career: A Time of Reinvention and Intentional Growth

Abstract

This paper examines the concept of locus of control through the lived experiences and perceptions of 30 mid-career faculty members in three public comprehensive universities. Study findings demonstrate how some mid-career faculty experienced a change in their locus of control from external to internal. Study participants described how this change reshaped the type of scholarly work in which they were engaged. This research fills a gap in the literature by describing the individual and environmental drivers of locus of control, and the impact of locus of control on faculty behavior.

Authors

• Anne Marie DeFelippo, Salem State University

• Jay R. Dee, University of Massachusetts Boston