Professional and Organizational Development Network in Higher Education

 

Date of this Version

2007

Document Type

Article

Citation

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development (2007) 25

doi: 10.3998/tia.17063888.0025.022

Comments

License: CC BY-NC-ND

Abstract

Student learning communities result in numerous benefits for students and institutions, but less is known about the influence of learning community participation on faculty renewal and development. This qualitative study examines mid-career faculty members’ involvement in student learning communiities to explore the degree to which the construct of vitality appropriately describes and illuminates their experiences. Findings suggest that learning communities foster vitality by serving as a boundary-spanning activity where faculty can merge various work interests, allowing them to engage in purposeful production and providing them with experiences that help generate feelings of energy, excitement, and engagement with their work.

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