Date of Award

Spring 2023

Type

Dissertation

Degree Type

Doctor of Education in Curriculum and Leadership

Department

Teacher Education

First Advisor

Dr. Robert Waller, Ed. D.

Second Advisor

Dr. Michael Dentzau

Third Advisor

Dr. Jennifer Lovelace

Abstract

The study, "A Mixed Methods Study of Faculty Perceptions and Self-Assessments of Constructivist Teaching Methods at a Regional University in the State of Georgia” examined the self-assessments and perceptions of faculty at a regional university in the State of Georgia. The study followed a sequential mixed-methods study with three phases of the study, namely, a quantitative ‘descriptive’ phase, a qualitative ‘bounded case study’ phase, and a mixed-methods phase in a joint display table. The purpose of this sequential mixed methods study was to examine the understanding and implementation of constructivist teaching practices by faculty in their classrooms at a regional university in the State of Georgia. The study consulted a wide range of past literature pertaining to constructivist teaching practices in higher education. The findings of the study will be complementing the body of knowledge of constructivist teaching practices in higher education. Faculty participation was an important factor in this study to bring out their perspectives on constructivist teaching practices in their classrooms. The study involved 34 faculty for the self-assessment survey questionnaire and 12 faculty (out of 34) for the semi-structured interviews. The scores on the survey instrument “the Constructivist Learning in Higher Education Settings Scale (CLHES)” were analyzed using the SPSS 28.0 version. Semi-structured interviews were conducted through the Zoom platform and the interview perceptions were recorded by Audacity 3.0.4 voice recording tool. The transcribed transcripts were analyzed by using the NVivo qualitative data analysis tool. From the open codes and the sub-codes, eight themes were categorized namely, 1. Knowledge construction, 2. In-depth learning, 3. Authenticity, 4. Multiple perspectives, 5. Prior knowledge, 6. Teacher-student interaction, 7. Social interaction, and 8. Cooperative dialogue. A mixed methods joint-display table was used to integrate and present the results obtained from the quantitative and qualitative viii phases. Methodological data triangulation helped to increase the validity of the study by assessing the implementation of constructivist teaching methods in three different phases. The findings of the study support an understanding and implementation of constructivist teaching practices in the classrooms by faculty in their classrooms at a regional university in the State of Georgia.

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