Perspectives on Scholarship in Education: Undergraduate and Graduate Students' Views on Faculty Scholarship.

Overview & Synopsis

Undergraduate and graduate education students (N=2,405) from 13 Renaissance Group Institutions were surveyed regarding their perceptions of the expectations of faculty involved in teacher education. A questionnaire, completed by participants, asked for background information and opinions regarding faculty work, pay, and role expectations. Student respondents indicated that teaching was overwhelmingly the most important job of a college education professor and that professors should dedicate more of their time to teaching. While students typically believed that education professors did an "outstanding job of preparing teachers," they were perceived as doing only a slightly better job of teaching than professors in other fields. Regarding grades, the majority of students disagreed with the often stated assumption that higher grades are easier to earn in education courses than in courses in other fields of study. Students thought that education professors worked approximately 41 hours per week, spent about 17 of these hours teaching in the classroom, and had a mean estimated annual salary of $40,100 per academic year excluding summer employment. The majority felt that education professors were underpaid and had significantly less status than doctors and lawyers. References and a list of Renaissance Group Institutions and participants in the study are included. (Author/LL)