The Development of the Appointment Process for Academic ...€¦ · Forty-three higher education...
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301 Journal of Research Methodology, Volume 26, Number 3 (September-December 2013) ｡｢｡w｡} `｢ｲ ~｢ｲ wﾙﾙﾙz The Development of the Appointment Process for Academic Titles of Faculty Members in Higher Education Institutions Chanita Rukspollmuang 1 Nuttaporn Lawthong 2 Kamonwan Tangdhanakanond 3 Fuangarun Preededilok 4 Sumit Suwan 5 ABSTRACT The present study aimed to explore the state, problems, and obstacles and to propose guidelines for the development of the procedure for the conferral of academic titles of faculty members in higher education institutions. A mixed methods approach was used in this study. That is, quantitatively, the descriptive study employed survey forms, questionnaires, and tests based on Icek Ajzen’s Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB); qualitatively, the study employed document research, interviews, case studies, and focus groups. Data were collected from six categories of Thai higher education institutions, i.e., public universities, autonomous universities, Rajabhat Universities, Rajamangala Universities of Technology, open universities, and private universities through university administrators, faculty members, and experts in four academic disciplines, i.e., health science, science and technology, humanities, and social sciences. Forty-three higher education institutions responded to the survey. In this regard, 1,014 questionnaires were completed by faculty members. Twenty-six experts gave interviews, and thirty participated in the focus group discussion. The findings from the survey forms and the questionnaires revealed that the academic titles of most faculty members were lecturer. Data regarding the conferral of academic titles from the past five years (2007-2011) also showed that faculty members in public universities applied for academic titles the most, especially for the rank of assistant professor, whereas those of associate professor and full professor were relatively fewer respectively. It was noted that while the number of faculty members applying for the academic title of professor was the fewest, the number being declined was the most. More than half of the faculty members indicated that they had a plan to apply for the rank of assistant professor during the next five years; however, their intention was at the moderate level. The point was important because the result of the TPB model analysis showed that the intention to apply for and attitude towards academic titles were the direct factors of the application for academic titles. Administrative and clerical workloads of the faculty members were pointed out as the main obstacles in the procedure for the conferral of academic titles. Policy recommendations, proposed revisions of the Office of Higher Education Commission (OHEC) regulations, and guidelines for the development of the procedure for the conferral of academic titles of faculty members in higher education institutions were then reported. Keywords: Academic Titles, Higher Education Institutions, Faculty Members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mail: [email protected]
Transcript of The Development of the Appointment Process for Academic ...€¦ · Forty-three higher education...
301
Journal of Research Methodology, Volume 26, Number 3 (September-December 2013)
The Development of the Appointment Process for Academic
Titles of Faculty Members in Higher Education Institutions
Chanita Rukspollmuang1
Nuttaporn Lawthong2
Kamonwan Tangdhanakanond3
Fuangarun Preededilok4
Sumit Suwan5
ABSTRACT
The present study aimed to explore the state, problems, and obstacles and to propose guidelines for the development of the
procedure for the conferral of academic titles of faculty members in higher education institutions. A mixed methods approach was used in
this study. That is, quantitatively, the descriptive study employed survey forms, questionnaires, and tests based on Icek Ajzen’s Theory of
Planned Behavior (TPB); qualitatively, the study employed document research, interviews, case studies, and focus groups. Data were
collected from six categories of Thai higher education institutions, i.e., public universities, autonomous universities, Rajabhat Universities,
Rajamangala Universities of Technology, open universities, and private universities through university administrators, faculty members,
and experts in four academic disciplines, i.e., health science, science and technology, humanities, and social sciences. Forty-three higher
education institutions responded to the survey. In this regard, 1,014 questionnaires were completed by faculty members. Twenty-six experts
gave interviews, and thirty participated in the focus group discussion.
The !ndings from the survey forms and the questionnaires revealed that the academic titles of most faculty members
were lecturer. Data regarding the conferral of academic titles from the past !ve years (2007-2011) also showed that faculty members in
public universities applied for academic titles the most, especially for the rank of assistant professor, whereas those of associate professor
and full professor were relatively fewer respectively. It was noted that while the number of faculty members applying for the academic title
of professor was the fewest, the number being declined was the most. More than half of the faculty members indicated that they had a plan
to apply for the rank of assistant professor during the next !ve years; however, their intention was at the moderate level. The point was
important because the result of the TPB model analysis showed that the intention to apply for and attitude towards academic titles were
the direct factors of the application for academic titles. Administrative and clerical workloads of the faculty members were pointed out as
the main obstacles in the procedure for the conferral of academic titles. Policy recommendations, proposed revisions of the Of!ce of Higher
Education Commission (OHEC) regulations, and guidelines for the development of the procedure for the conferral of academic titles of
faculty members in higher education institutions were then reported.
Keywords: Academic Titles, Higher Education Institutions, Faculty Members
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Email: [email protected]
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Journal of Research Methodology, Volume 26, Number 3 (September-December 2013)
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