The Professional Development Needs of Community College Business Faculty: A Qualitative Investigation

The purpose of this qualitative within-site case study was to better understand the perceived professional development needs of community college business faculty.The study was important, because few studies had described the professional development needs of community college business faculty, which annually serve more than 7.2 million students.Because the teachers provide timely and relevant instruction, they need professional development to stay abreast of changes within their professional disciplines (e.g., accounting, business communications, office administration technology).The findings in this study reveal that community college business faculty need professional development focused on meeting the needs of students from across the lifespan, from diverse family and socioeconomic backgrounds, technology, the selection and implementation of teaching methods, and understanding theory and its application to classroom settings.Further study is recommended to determine the extent to which findings in this study may be applicable to the larger population of community college teachers of business and recommendations for practice include designing and delivering professional development that coheres with the perceptions of target participants.iv This thesis is dedicated to my mother