Faculty Development Program Report

Abstract

Purpose: Faculty development activities have been designed to enhance teacher performance at
all professional levels. The work aimed to evaluate the faculties' suggestions for improvement of
their academic knowledge and skills in addition to their recommendation about the factors
influencing the effectiveness of the faculty development program.

Methodology: This study implemented convergent mixed research methods. We addressed

faculty members of the college (54 faculty members). A survey was used for data collection.

Results: The response rate was 93%. The main responses were that the program was a valuable
tool to gain knowledge and skills, reinforce skills in student assessment. It met or exceeded the
expectations of the respondents regarding the leadership and management content, the teaching
and learning methods, and the improvement of their conduction of different teaching activities.
About 40% were satisfied with the topics raised in the sessions. Their main recommendations
were to conduct sessions in better room facilities with refreshment break, also invite industry
experts for topics on Realtime industry knowledge.

Conclusion: The Faculty development program is very important in the improvement of the
faculty's knowledge and skills in learning, teaching, student assessment, leadership and
management, research, and publication. The recommendations raised by the faculty will be used
for the improvement of the future faculty development program

Introduction

Faculty members are the cornerstone for the accomplishment of any educational institution. They
pave the way to transfer the knowledge and skills to their students Business schools assess the
faculty members’ effectiveness based on their knowledge, research impact, and practical
experience but not their educational skills. Consequently, we are faced with challenges in the
advance education process. A competent teacher is not unconditionally guaranteed to be a
qualified educator.

To deal with the rapid innovation in education methods, the need for continuous improvement of
faculty skills has become an urgent need. Faculty Development Program presented such an
event, supporting faculty members to gain knowledge in various aspects supporting the
educational process. A teacher should be an information provider, facilitator, mentor, curriculum
developer, and implementer, assessor, and diagnostician, a role model, leader, scholar, and
researcher.

The simple definition of faculty development is a training activity to enhance the professional
development of a faculty member at all levels. Many programs were adopted and designed for
improving the skills of faculty members’ teaching, learning, research, publication, leadership,
management, and professionalism, in addition to deepening their commitment to the
organization. The establishment of a successful FDP is a milestone that is thought to be
important for accreditation, accomplishment, progress, productivity, sustainability, and
accountability.

Faculty development is of paramount importance in universities as it directly impacts the quality

of education and the overall academic environment. Well-trained and updated faculty members
are better equipped to engage students, foster critical thinking, and adapt to evolving pedagogical
methods and technologies.

The faculty Development Week (Sep 13 – 15) was completed last week in university of south
Asia Raiwind Campus. The workshops were held by honorable faculty members to impart their
knowledge and experience relating to several critical academic domains. The knowledge was
imparted in a very interactive and co-learning environment, as the participants were encouraged
to share their teaching experiences and ways to improve value-generation capacity were
discussed.

The following workshops were conducted:

Sep-13 The Role of Critical Thinking in Education by Dr. Suleman Lodhi
Sep-13 Stress Management and Work-Life Balance by Dr. Irum Yasmeen
Sep-14 Research Methodology and Scholarly Publication by Dr. Suleman Lodhi
Sep-14 Creating Entrepreneurial Learning Environments by Dr. Mehwish
Sep-15 Importance of English pronunciation by Mr. Shahzad Ahmad

The event was enthusiastically attended by all faculty members and greatly appreciated.

This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the adopted FDPs according to the faculty
members’ perspectives, using self-administered questionnaires and analyzing their suggestions
for improvement.

Methods

1. The subjects:

 The included sample size was 54 faculty members.

 Members working in the University of South Asia were included.
 An online survey was disseminated among the participants.
 The questionnaire was validated through its perusal by the faculty members
 The questionnaire was checked for item appropriateness and comprehensiveness through
face and content validity.
 A five-point Likert scale (0 = strongly disagree, 4 = strongly agree) was adopted within
the questionnaires.

2. The study design:

A convergent mixed research design was used.

3. The statistical methods:

Statistics were performed by Microsoft Excel

Results/Analysis

There are 54 faculty members participated in this study, with a response rate of 93%. An online
survey link (quantitative and qualitative) was distributed among faculty members during
sessions.

The study revealed that the majority of the faculty believed that the knowledge and skills gained
during FDP sessions helped them with their academic work in the college (Figure 1).

Figure 1. Response regarding the knowledge and skills gained from the FDP

In Figure (2-A), we can see the results regarding faculty members` opinions on objectives of
training were clearly defined.

The faculty members showed enthusiasm for participation and interaction in training session
(Figure 2-B).

It is noteworthy that the majority of faculty with different specialties, from different departments,
and with diverse experiences supported the training workshop are useful for their work (Figure
2-C).
Figure 2. Faculty response regarding the organization of the Training sessions

Regarding the trainer was knowledgeable about topic, the majority of faculty considered them to
exceed or met expectations (Figure 3-A).

It noteworthy that the faculty found that material about teaching and learning tools presented in
the FDP met training objectives(Figure- 3B).

Figure 3. Faculty response regarding the content

The study revealed that 72.5% of the faculty supported the time allotted for training was
sufficient (Figure 4-A).

It seems that the FDP needs to address the area of training and facilities more deeply as less than
half of the faculty agreed that the room and facilities were not adequate and comfortable (Figure
4-B).
Figure 4. Faculty response regarding the skills

Following the analysis of qualitative feedback and suggestions for improvement, the study
yielded two predominant recommendations based on the number of responses:

 Regular FDP Sessions with Enhanced Facilities:

The most frequently mentioned suggestion is to conduct Faculty Development Program (FDP)
sessions on a regular basis, specifically in every semester. Respondents emphasize the
importance of consistent FDP opportunities for faculty growth. Additionally, there is a consensus
that improving room facilities for these sessions is crucial, ensuring that conducive learning
environments are provided.

 Incorporate a 20-Minute Refreshment Break:

Another widely noted recommendation is to introduce a 20-minute refreshment break during the
FDP sessions. Faculty members have suggested that such breaks would allow participants to
recharge, network, and foster a more relaxed and interactive learning atmosphere.
These suggestions reflect the importance of both the frequency and the quality of FDP sessions
in enhancing faculty development. Addressing these recommendations can contribute to more
effective and accommodating professional development experiences for faculty members.

Discussion

Faculty Development Programs (FDP) represent a significant and challenging responsibility

organized by the Faculty of Management Sciences. This study has conclusively demonstrated
that the majority of faculty members recognize the substantial impact of FDPs on their teaching,
learning, and student assessment competencies. Impressively, 78% of respondents affirm the
inherent benefits of FDPs, which include fostering self-evaluation of teaching skills, embracing
diverse teaching methodologies, and elevating student satisfaction levels.

In addition to these findings, faculty members have voiced a clear consensus regarding the
paramount importance of integrating critical thinking principles into education. Their collective
belief underscores the necessity of investing in the cultivation of critical thinking processes as an
integral part of enhancing educational prowess. Faculty members overwhelmingly concur that
the incorporation of critical thinking will not only enhance teaching abilities but also redefine the
dynamics of the student-teacher relationship. It will equip educators with innovative pedagogical
strategies, novel curriculum design approaches, and invaluable experience in student assessment.

Furthermore, the study has assessed the coverage of stress management within FDPs, revealing a
noteworthy 77.5% rate of satisfaction among faculty members. This underscores the critical
significance of stress management skills for professional educators. To further augment the
effectiveness of FDPs, it is recommended that they adopt an interactive, workshop-style format.
Faculty development seminars, workshops, and fellowships have consistently yielded highly
favorable results.

Respondents in this study have advocated for the involvement of industry experts in FDP
sessions, recognizing the invaluable insights they can provide. Additionally, it is suggested that
FDPs should be held once every semester, a deviation from previous surveys that favored daily
sessions. This adjustment aims to strike a balance between frequency and depth of engagement.

Finally, the study has underscored the pressing need for FDPs to concentrate on enhancing the
research and publication capabilities of faculty members. Approximately 80% of participants
emphasize the paramount importance of research and publication skills as integral capabilities.
This recommendation acknowledges the evolving landscape of academia and the imperative for
educators to contribute meaningfully to scholarly discourse through research and publication
efforts.

Conclusion

Faculty Development Programs (FDP) play a pivotal role in enhancing the knowledge and skills
of educators across various domains, including learning methodologies, pedagogy, student
assessment, leadership and management, research acumen, and scholarly publication. The
valuable insights and recommendations generated from this study will serve as essential building
blocks for the refinement and enhancement of our existing FDP initiative. These suggestions will
be utilized to categorize the program into distinct thematic modules, each addressing the specific
areas mentioned above. This strategic approach will enable a more focused and comprehensive
approach to faculty development, fostering continuous growth and proficiency among our
dedicated educators.

Takeaway Messages

 FDP should be considered a milestone in university setting. It is tremendously accepted

nowadays between faculty as an important tool to improve their knowledge,
interprofessional education, leadership and management skills, teaching capabilities,
student assessment in addition to research and publication practices.
 It is recommended to be mainly as workshops, once or twice in semester, with the
invitation of expert speakers in the higher education field.
 To enhance the efficacy of the FDP, the faculty suggested sharing in preparation and
presentation of different topics by all faculty members and to focus mainly on higher
education needs.