Students' perceptions of the importance of the faculty dimensions of technical currency, teaching techniques, and commitment to student success for their learning/success in a technology-based baccalaureate program

The primary objective of this study was to explore the relationships between students' perceptions of the importance of three faculty dimensions---technical currency, teaching techniques, and commitment to student success---to their learning/success, expressed in terms of self-reported technical competencies and GPA in a technology-based baccalaureate electronics engineering technology (EET) program at a teaching university.;The sample (N = 225) was composed of seniors of the BSEET program (Fall 2003) from 13 geographically diverse campuses of a teaching university. More than 75% of the EET seniors agreed that the constructs of faculty technical currency, teaching techniques, and commitment to student success, are important to their learning/success.;Statistical analyses also revealed that: (a) there was no significant difference between the means of faculty technical currency (FTC), and faculty teaching techniques (FTT), (b) there was a significant difference between the means of faculty technical currency (FTC) and faculty commitment to student success (FCSS), with small effect size, and, (c) there was a significant difference between the means of the faculty teaching techniques (FTT), and faculty commitment to student success (FCSS), with a small effect size.;Regression analyses revealed significant and direct relationships between: (a) faculty technical currency (FTC) and student learning/success in terms of self reported technical competency (effect size is medium), (b) faculty teaching techniques (FTT) and student learning/success in terms of self reported technical competency (effect size is medium-to-large), (c) faculty commitment to student success (FCSS) and student learning/success in terms of self-reported technical competency (effect size is medium), (d) faculty technical currency (FTC) and faculty teaching techniques (FTT) [large effect size], and, (e) faculty technical currency (FTC) and faculty commitment to student success (FCSS) [effect size is large]. The multiple regression analyses also revealed 16.6% of the variance in student learning/success can be predicted from the three faculty constructs of FTC, FTT, and FCSS.;Student GPA failed to reveal any significant relationships with faculty dimensions of technical currency, teaching techniques, and commitment to student success.;The recommendations based on the study suggest ways to improve faculty development and training activities to promote student learning in the domains of engineering technology.