Pedagogical approaches and professional development experiences of full-time and adjunct biological science faculty at California community colleges

Community colleges (CC) are a popular pathway for students entering the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) departments in four-year universities. However, CC transfer students, on average, have lower cumulative GPAs and graduation rates than do native four-year university students, even controlling for student age, academic preparation, and background. Although studies have focused on student experiences after transferring, far fewer have investigated the potential contribution of instructional and structural differences between CCs and four-year institutions for the performance gap. I characterized the professional experiences and pedagogical practices of full and adjunct biological science faculty members of California CCs using a comprehensive survey instrument. Full-time biological science faculty reported a higher frequency of use of some student-centered teaching practices. All faculty reported discordance between the content and availability of professional development experiences offered by their institution and their professional needs. Adjunct faculty reported lower levels of teaching resources provided by their institutions. More information on CC classroom practices and a refocus of professional development to better meet the needs of CC faculty may contribute to the success of CC transfer students via improved pedagogical practices of the faculty.