An Exploration of College Faculty Perspectives on Early Alert Interventions

Date of Award

12-1-2023

Degree Name

Ed.D. in Leadership for Organizations

Department

Department of Educational Administration

Advisor/Chair

Advisor: Ricardo Garcia

Abstract

The aim of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore college faculty experiences on early alert interventions. The research question that guided the study was, how do faculty perceive their role within a college’s early alerts intervention system? Student engagement theory was the steering framework of the study; Seeking to align faculty experiences and perspectives with conditions that improve student engagement and retention— especially as it pertains to faculty and classroom engagement (Tinto, 2012). The study was grounded in phenomenology to show the meaning of experiences by presenting coded themes (Moser & Korstkens, 2018). In this case, the phenomenon of study was the faculty's perceived role within EAIs. Themes were searched for by using grounded theory and following open, axial, and selective coding to present findings that may improve institutional practices. Findings of the study showed three major themes that emerged from interviews and a focus group with the participants: Varied experiences of faculty engagement with early alerts, considerations of communication amongst faculty, students, EAI coaches and the campus and implications of dedicated faculty professional development for EAIs. Through its findings and implications this study provides an opportunity to have important conversations to take ownership of student outcomes(Kuh, 2003).

Keywords

Early Alert Interventions, Retention Practices, Student Engagement Theory, Higher Education

Rights Statement

Copyright © 2023, author.

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