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ABSTRACT
This report describes the results of the pilot test
of the Faculty Survey of Student Engagement (FSSE)
completed by 270 BGSU faculty in the Spring of 2003. The
FSSE was designed by national assessment experts
to
measure faculty expectations for student engagement in
educational practices that are known to be empirically linked with high
levels of learning and development, along with how faculty use these
practices in their work with students. The results
of the FSSE, when used in concert
with the
results
of the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) , are intended
to be a catalyst for productive discussions related to teaching, learning,
and
the quality of students' education experience." (NSSE,
2003)
BACKGROUND AND METHODOLOGY
The Office of Institutional Research (IR)
conducts regular periodic assessment of student
engagement in educational practices. One of
our principal means of data collection is
the National Survey of Student Engagement
(NSSE), a survey of
undergraduate students that was developed at the Indiana University Center for Post-Secondary Research & Planning.
This year a new instrument has been pilot tested in conjunction with the NSSE on campus. That new tool is
the Faculty Survey of Student Engagement (FSSE).
The FSSE is a project coordinated by NSSE team.
It was designed to parallel NSSE's survey of
undergraduate students. Rather than
examining student engagement, FSSE focuses on: (1) Faculty perceptions of
how often their students engage in different activities; (2) The importance
that faculty place on various areas of learning and development; (3) The
nature and frequency of faculty-student interactions; and (4) How faculty
members organize class time and related activities. "FSSE is not meant
to be a faculty evaluation. Rather, it provides institutions with an opportunity
to compare faculty perceptions and student reports about educational
opportunities and practices on their campus." (NSSE, 2003)
More than 16,000 faculty members at 147 colleges and
universities participated the 2003 pilot test of the survey. BGSU faculty who
subscribed to the faculty listproc were asked to respond the survey online this spring.
A total of 270 of the surveys were completed. The response rate is about 25%,
which is lower than the estimated average institution response rate of 43%.
There is a high degree of race/ethnicity similarity between
survey respondents and the overall faculty population. Females (54%
for sample vs. 44% for population) and
full-time faculty members (83%
for sample vs. 73% for population),
however, were over-represented. These limitations
and the low response rate require that results from the survey be interpreted
with some caution.
Respondents were asked to identify a particular
undergraduate course that they teach and use it as the basis for responding
to the survey. Of the total 270 BGSU faculty respondents, 122 of them
identified themselves as lower division faculty (the students in their
identified course sections are mostly first year students and sophomores) and
137 of them identified themselves as upper division faculty (the students in
their identified course sections are mostly juniors and seniors). The class size for most of the identified course sections, both
at lower division and at upper division, is between 10 and 49 students. The course
subjects for most of lower division classes are Arts and Humanities (29.8%),
Other (22.3%), Social Science (18.2%), and Physical Science (16.5%). The
course subjects for most of upper division classes are Education (19.9%),
Arts and Humanities (19.9%), Other (16.2%), Social Science (14.0%), and
Business (12.5%). Roughly 60% of the respondents reported that they
have taught the identified course sections four times or more prior to this
spring.
FSSE results were analyzed by noting the percentages of participants who
provided various responses to the survey items. Percentages may not always
sum to 100 due to rounding. Responses were compared
with those of two other peer universities*.
They were also compared with
the 2003 NSSE results.
* Two Peer Universities:
George Mason University
Northern Arizona University
USE OF TIME
About how many hours do you spend in a typical week doing each of the following?
| |
BGSU Faculty |
|
Lower
Division |
Upper Division |
0 |
1-4 |
5-8 |
9-12 |
13-16 |
>=17 |
0 |
1-4 |
5-8 |
9-12 |
13-16 |
>=17 |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
|
Teaching undergraduate students in
class |
1 |
21 |
33 |
27 |
14 |
5 |
0 |
30 |
32 |
29 |
5 |
5 |
|
Grading papers |
4 |
44 |
29 |
14 |
2 |
8 |
2 |
53 |
31 |
11 |
1 |
3 |
|
Giving feedback to students |
0 |
61 |
27 |
9 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
64 |
27 |
5 |
2 |
1 |
|
Preparing for class |
0 |
34 |
40 |
18 |
5 |
3 |
0 |
24 |
45 |
15 |
8 |
9 |
|
Reflecting on and revising class
activities |
0 |
64 |
29 |
5 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
65 |
24 |
6 |
3 |
2 |
|
Advising undergraduate students |
45 |
41 |
11 |
3 |
0 |
1 |
29 |
51 |
14 |
5 |
1 |
1 |
|
Working with undergraduates on
research |
60 |
26 |
11 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
54 |
34 |
8 |
3 |
0 |
1 |
|
Supervising internships or other field
experiences |
72 |
19 |
6 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
63 |
23 |
8 |
4 |
1 |
2 |
|
Working with students on activities
other than course work |
54 |
35 |
5 |
3 |
1 |
3 |
51 |
35 |
8 |
2 |
0 |
4 |
|
Other interactions with students
outside of the classroom |
27 |
52 |
15 |
3 |
2 |
2 |
17 |
68 |
10 |
2 |
1 |
3 |
| |
Peer Universities' Faculty |
|
Lower
Division |
Upper Division |
0 |
1-4 |
5-8 |
9-12 |
13-16 |
>=17 |
0 |
1-4 |
5-8 |
9-12 |
13-16 |
>=17 |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
|
Teaching undergraduate students in
class |
1 |
21 |
35 |
31 |
9 |
3 |
1 |
29 |
32 |
24 |
7 |
7 |
|
Grading papers |
2 |
47 |
31 |
9 |
6 |
4 |
3 |
43 |
29 |
12 |
8 |
6 |
|
Giving feedback to students |
1 |
67 |
22 |
8 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
57 |
25 |
8 |
5 |
4 |
|
Preparing for class |
0 |
31 |
37 |
21 |
5 |
6 |
0 |
23 |
41 |
20 |
11 |
6 |
|
Reflecting on and revising class
activities |
3 |
65 |
23 |
8 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
58 |
26 |
9 |
4 |
2 |
|
Advising undergraduate students |
26 |
58 |
13 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
18 |
60 |
14 |
4 |
3 |
2 |
|
Working with undergraduates on
research |
62 |
28 |
6 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
50 |
38 |
7 |
3 |
1 |
2 |
|
Supervising internships or other field
experiences |
71 |
19 |
7 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
59 |
25 |
6 |
6 |
2 |
2 |
|
Working with students on activities
other than course work |
53 |
36 |
8 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
51 |
37 |
9 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
|
Other interactions with students
outside of the classroom |
22 |
61 |
12 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
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