| This study investigated how industry professionals go about acquiring and building the teaching skills required to succeed as an adjunct professor. A target outcome was to help administrators gain a deeper understanding of the real-life experiences of a major segment of their faculty. Today, most college instructors are adjuncts (Coalition on the Academic Workforce, 2012), and individuals who hold a full-time job within a given profession represent the largest adjunct segment (Eagan, 2007). Yet how do these individuals pick up the teaching skills to effectively share their subject matter knowledge with college students? Study participants described in their own words how they learn to teach and the obstacles they face in the process. The study employed a qualitative design and involved approximately 60 adjuncts from industry participating in a combination of an online survey, a focus group, and a one-on-one interview. Adult Learning Theory (Knowles, Holton, & Swanson, 1998) provided the theoretical lens for examining the research questions. Three findings emerged from the study about adjuncts from industry: 1) they typically are self-confident and self-sufficient in accepting adjunct assignments, 2) they report both direct and indirect obstacles that impact their effectiveness as teachers, and 3) most feel that their college or university underinvests in adjunct orientation and development, but a minority speak highly of the support their institution provides. This latter group provides exemplars that can help colleges and universities in developing programs for their adjunct faculty. |
