Document Type

Dissertation

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy

Major

Education, Educational Leadership & Policy Studies

Date of Defense

7-28-2011

Graduate Advisor

Lloyd I Richardson, PhD

Co-Advisor

Henschke, John

Committee

Richardson, Lloyd I.

Henschke, John A.

Ding, Cody S.

Han, Pi-Chi

Abstract

Education has the opportunity to play an integral role in sustaining the health of our economy in an increasingly competitive, global market. A review of the issues and trends impacting higher education reveals growing pressure placed on faculty to advance instructional outcomes among more diverse populations. Imbedded is the challenge to create new knowledge about how to improve instruction. As diversity among college students in terms of age, gender, and ethnicity continues to increase, psychological type provides a means for examining important differences in choice of academic discipline(s), persistence, learning style, and teaching style preferences. Faculty members face increasing pressure to be critically reflective in their instructional practices. Research investigating the link between the psychological type and instructional perspectives offers insight for examining differences and promoting dialogue on ways higher education institutions can become more responsive to the needs of students of all types. This research investigated the relationship of psychological type, as measured by the MBTI and instructional perspective, as measured by the Modified Instructional Perspectives Inventory (IPI) among faculty across academic disciplines at four campuses of a public land-grant university. This study also examined variations in instructional perspectives among faculty of similar type teaching in the same academic disciplines and whether these variations are related to exposure to adult learning theories, methods, and/or instructional strategies. Research found a significant relationship between the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and the Modified Instructional Perspectives Inventory. Findings provide evidence that variations in instructional perspectives among faculty members of similar MBTI types teaching in same academic disciplines do exist and that exposure to adult learning theories, methods, and/or instructional strategies accounts for a significant proportion of the variation.

OCLC Number

747041771

Included in

Education Commons

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