Examining the Relation Between Part-Time Faculty Employment and Student Academic Achievement Using Hierarchical Linear Modeling

Abstract

The increasing demand for access to higher education and declining financial support from states help fuel the increasing employment of part-time faculty at US institutions of higher education. Although prior studies acknowledged employing part-time faculty is positively associated with student learning or choice of major as they bring professional experience to their respective fields, the majority of studies suggest there is a negative association between part-time faculty appointment and student academic achievement. My research project further investigated such association using multilevel logistic regression and a nationally representative sample of college students from 2-year community colleges in the United States. This case study provides a succinct account of my 4-year research project, taking readers to the heart of some specific methodological challenges or problems that arose during this research process. It is my hope that this case study offers some useful suggestions and tips for students who aim to conduct statistical analysis using a similar methodological approach.

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