Chapter 2

Faculty Development for Curriculum Work

and Change

Overview

• Faculty development is a core and ongoing component of all curriculum work.

• Ongoing and planned faculty growth and evolution are necessary to bring curriculum to fruition.

Faculty Development

• Purpose and meaning:– Faculty development is a form of ongoing

professional development for academics.– Purpose of institution-wide faculty development

has typically been teacher improvement.– Today, there is expanded emphasis on individual

as a scholar, professional, person, member of an organization, with activities promoting such.

Faculty Development (cont.)

• Purpose and meaning (cont.):– Activities related to curriculum tenets not typically

addressed in faculty development literature.– Contributes to growth and development of

individuals in all their academic roles, so their capacity to advance their discipline and influence change is expanded.

Faculty Development (cont.)

• Necessary conditions:– Factors such as clearly communicated goals, skill-

building opportunities, institutional support, and faculty rewards are important for securing faculty support for an educational innovation.

– Development/implementation of a new or modified curriculum is a significant educational innovation, which must be endorsed by faculty and stakeholders.

Faculty Development (cont.)

• Necessary Conditions (cont.):– Planned faculty development activities, as a core

process of curriculum work, embody:• Opportunities for faculty/stakeholders to gain

curriculum skills, explore curriculum questions.• Institutional commitment to provide tangible support.• Professional development during curriculum work.

Relationship of Faculty Development, Curriculum Work, and Change

• Curriculum development, implementation, and evaluation represent a significant change in school of nursing.

• Requires change from established curriculum and work patterns to an altered curriculum and work expectations.

• Successful change is dependent on acquisition of new skills and perspectives by those implementing revised curriculum.

Relationship of Faculty Development, Curriculum Work, and Change (cont.)• As changes take place, interpersonal dynamics

may be altered and realignment of teaching colleagues may occur.

• Change depends on acquisition of new skills and perspectives, and some loss of old ones, and requires personal adjustment.

• Ongoing faculty development is necessary for group to understand proposed change and ensure necessary skills/knowledge is acquired.

Faculty Development for Curriculum Work

• Necessity of:– Faculty development has been considered the

essence of curriculum development.– Faculty development is foundational to creation,

implementation, and evaluation of curriculum reflecting a new perspective.

– Past and recent conditions have left few nursing faculty equipped to undertake curriculum development.

Faculty Development for Curriculum Work (cont.)

• Necessity of (cont.):– It is incumbent on school leaders to provide

opportunities for faculty to acquire relevant knowledge and skills for curriculum development.

– Faculty development is core activity of curriculum work, and a catalyst for creation and operationalization of a new vision for curriculum.

– Curriculum redesign requires a forward-thinking look at the future of nursing practice.

Faculty Development for Curriculum Work (cont.)

• Necessity of (cont.):– It is necessary for faculty development to occur

with curriculum development; must be viewed as core component of curriculum work.

– Faculty development related to curriculum development is critical due to nursing faculty shortage and impending retirements.

Faculty Development for Curriculum Work (cont.)

• Purpose and goals:– At least four goals for faculty development related

to curriculum development:• Enhancing related knowledge and skills• Changing view related to curriculum• Comfort with changing roles and relationships• Changing teaching and learning evaluation approaches

Faculty Development for Curriculum Work (cont.)

• Participants in faculty development activities:– Faculty is key in curriculum development for:

• Decisions to be made• Committee work to be accomplished• Facilitating/evaluating student learning• Appraisal of curriculum evaluation results

– Success largely dependent upon knowledgeable and willing faculty.

– Other stakeholders, such as students, clinicians and administrators, must also be included.

Faculty Development for Curriculum Work (cont.)

• Responsibility for faculty development:– School leadership has the responsibility to invest

in and support the development of faculty in order to minimize knowledge gaps.

– Faculty has professional obligation to:• Attend faculty development activities• Be open to new ideas• Participate fully in faculty development• Commit to effectively using new knowledge• Contribute to development of others

Faculty Development for Curriculum Work (cont.)

• Faculty development activities for curriculum work:– Faculty development activities can be:

• Formal• Informal• Collaborative• Self-managed• Individual• Group based

Faculty Development for Curriculum Work (cont.)

• Faculty development activities for curriculum work (cont.):– All stakeholders should reach shared

understandings about curriculum work, nursing education, practice, and health care.

– Activity schedules should be agreed upon and activities should be consistent with evolving philosophy of redesigned curriculum.

– When scheduling activities, the earlier the better, though flexibility may be required.

Faculty Development for Curriculum Work (cont.)

• Benefits of faculty development for curriculum work:– Creation of shared vision for curriculum.– Development of evidence-informed, context-

relevant, unified curriculum.– Implementation/evaluation of curriculum in

manner consistent with underlying tenets.– Demonstrates administrative commitment to

professional growth.– Increased job satisfaction.

Faculty Development for Curriculum Work (cont.)

• Benefits of faculty development for curriculum work (cont.):– May enhance faculty recruitment and retention.– Enhanced positive perception of the work

environment and faculty value.– Increase in faculty competence, making them

more efficient and effective.– Reduction in frustration, need to redo work.– Increased faculty credibility, possible external

recognition, sense of pride.

Faculty Development for Change

• Change associated with curriculum work can give rise to feelings/behaviors such as:– Eager anticipation, full engagement.– Wait and see, with reluctant participation.– Resistance involving refusal to participate, possible

sabotage.• In addition to knowledge benefits, faculty

development can assist members with strategies for dealing with changes.

Faculty Development for Change (cont.)

• Theoretical perspectives on change:– Diffusion of innovations – gives attention to

individuals and groups within a social system.– Transtheoretical model of behavior change –

addresses individual behavior change as desired outcome; incorporates changes in attitudes, intentions, and behavior.

– Organizational change in culture context – bilateral interaction in which organizational change and culture influence one another.

Faculty Development for Change (cont.)

• Nature of faculty development for change:– Faculty development related to curriculum work is

fundamentally development for change.– Psychological dimension of change may require

consideration. Change requires adjustment to individuals’ mental maps of what should be.• Some accept change easily as part of academic life,

while others face degrees of uncertainty and stress.• Faculty development processes should include

attention to change processes.

Faculty Development for Change (cont.)

• Responding to resistance to change:– Even when members of a school of nursing agree

to curriculum development, some may be resistant to the need for change.

– Those who feel disrupted have potential to undermine momentum of the majority.

– Efforts should be made to help resisters feel their contributions are needed and valued, and to counteract projected negativity.

Faculty Development for Change (cont.)

• Responding to resistance to change (cont.):– Overt forms of resistance:

• Open criticism, refusal to acknowledge need for change• Predictions of dire consequences related to change• Direct refusal to participate in development• Actively seeking support from colleagues

– Covert forms of resistance:• Absence from meetings, failure to complete work• Minimal participation in activities attended• Diverting attention from the main purpose

Faculty Development for Change (cont.)

• Responding to resistance to change (cont.):– Precise reasons for resistance are varied and are

not necessary to know before confronting unacceptable behavior.

– Resistance should be confronted as soon as recognized.

– When group pressure fails to convince the resister, school leadership must intervene.

Faculty Development for Change (cont.)

• Responding to resistance to change (cont.):– Measures the school leader might employ:

• Describe gab between expected/observed behavior• Seek to understand resister’s perspective• Explain invisible consequences including diminished

respect from colleagues, damaged school reputation• Link desired behavior to shared values• Identify skills individual brings to table• Explain benefits of desired change• Obtain commitment to behave differently• Agree on action plan, accountability

Faculty Development for Change (cont.)

• Responding to resistance to change (cont.):– When resistance is prolonged or unrelenting, it

can be helpful for faculty members to reframe the situation to make dissent seem less personal.

– Viewing resistance as a conflict of values, beliefs, rights, and obligations can lead to changed understandings and reactions for all involved.