Community College Faculty Professional Development and Capital: Sources and Differences Shaping Math Instructional Change

• In Event: The Experiences of Community College Faculty

Abstract

Community college faculty are best positioned to make decisions about and improvements in instruction. Yet, we know little about the capital building process among these faculty and how it shapes instructional change. Adopting the lens of professional capital and using faculty development around math contextualization as the context, this study explores: 1) how community college faculty participating in professional development acquire professional capital and 2) what differences exist in faculty professional capital, and how do those differences shape faculty’s decisions around math instructional change. Utilizing multiple case study at two large, comprehensive two-year colleges in a Midwestern state, findings reveal faculty acquired professional capital in intricate, varying ways when engaging in professional development, situated within multiple identities and experiences.

Author

• Kelly Wickersham, University of Wisconsin - Madison