A Qualitative Study Examining Home as Faculty Workplace During COVID-19 Self-Isolation

Objectives: Using the lens of the virtual workplace model, the current basic qualitative study examined how COVID-19 self-isolation affected both online and land-based faculty (working online as an emergency due to COVID-19) workspaces and work processes. Method: A total of 20 online and six land-based faculty completed e-mail interviews both one month and 3 months post self-isolation. Results: Online faculty were more satisfied with their home workplace, but both groups felt more negative about their online work, as they felt a loss of freedom and independence due to the isolation. Conclusions: Findings indicated that both land-based and online faculty showed indications of stress due to self-isolation, which in turn affected their feelings about work. Gaining a sense of control seems to be essential to reducing stress over time. Implication for theory and/or practice: Future researchers may wish to examine the relationship of feelings of employee burnout to the stress of the pandemic. How working from home interacts with burnout is not yet known, particularly for online faculty. Both employers and virtual workers may wish to utilize the study’s findings in recognizing a need for control in virtual workers

Validation of the Doctoral Writing Knowledge and Efficacy Inventory

There has not been a validated measure of doctoral level writing knowledge nor one of doctoral writing self efficacy. In this study we developed and validated the Doctoral Writing Knowledge and Efficacy Inventory. The inventory showed validity, being correlated with writing apprehension, perceived writing self efficacy, and stage of dissertation.https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/current/1026/thumbnail.jp

The Virtual Research Lab: Research Outcomes Expectations

This paper examines the complexities of working with student researchers in a virtual lab setting, logistics, and methods to resolve issues. To demonstrate the feasibility of a virtual lab, a mixed method study consisting of quantitative surveys and qualitative data, examined changes in doctoral students’ confidence as measured by research outcome expectations and changes in a self-assessment of research knowledge and skills test in a three quarter virtual psychology research lab. In the lab, 10 doctoral students conducted a faculty-designed project, analyzed data, and co-wrote a literature review. Findings indicate lab students’ research knowledge and research outcome expectations improved significantly over non-lab comparison students. Student journals provided qualitative evidence of the student experience in a virtual research lab. Students reported individual growth, self-learning, and appreciating the shared group experience with a common goal. Students related that the application of skills learned in classes to a research setting was more difficult than anticipated

Validation of the Health Efficacy and Assertiveness Scale

Recently, health care has required the role of “patient to change from a receptive role to an active one. Patients\u27 responsibilities for discussing health with their physicians require greater health assertiveness and efficacy. There is not a validated survey examining patient assertiveness and self-efficacy. This study addresses this issue.https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/archivedposters/1133/thumbnail.jp

The Online Faculty Work Environment: An Exploratory Study

There is a considerable literature on college faculty working at in-person institutions and their work. However, there is little research on the online faculty home work environment. The present study, consisting of 236 survey respondents from 38 online institutions, examines how online faculty structure their home work environment.https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/archivedposters/1093/thumbnail.jp

The National Online Faculty Survey: Who Is Doing Research?

Preliminary results of the National Online Faculty Survey (N = 236) are reported. Data from 99 individuals (41.9% of the sample) who reported conducting research in the past 2 years (not own dissertation or thesis) are explored. 45% reported doing their research online. Characteristics of the researchers and studies are discussed.https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/archivedposters/1057/thumbnail.jp

Students’ Research Skills and Self Efficacy Gained in an Online Laboratory

Stadtlander and Giles (2010) showed the feasibility of an online psychology research laboratory. The proposed study extends their work by examining whether students’ research skills and self-efficacy improves in an online lab, as has been reported in land based research labs (Love et al., 2007).https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/archivedposters/1023/thumbnail.jp

Development of a Doctoral Internship Program for Walden’s Journals

A challenge facing all doctoral students is to learn to write with a scholarly voice, so that they can be successful in academic careers. A question arose about whether participation in a doctoral internship program for Walden’s 4 journals would improve interns\u27 research skills, writing skills, writing efficacy, and knowledge of the publication process.https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/symposium2018/1027/thumbnail.jp

Online Doctoral Student Research and Writing Self-Efficacy in a Publishing Internship

The present project purposed to develop a publishing internship program and evaluate its effect on doctoral student participants. A key assumption was that direct experience with the publishing process as a doctoral student would help build some of the necessary skills and self-efficacy to be successful as authors/scholars in the future. Because there has not been previous research in this area, the present study addresses this gap. Two different assessments, a writing knowledge and self-efficacy inventory and a research self-efficacy inventory, were used in a pre–posttest design to evaluate the impact of participation in the 6-month internship program on 22 online doctoral students. A texting app was used to build a community of practice to provide social support. Writing self-efficacy and research self-efficacy improved significantly over the 6-month internship. Students judged the internship favorably and found the texting group to offer social support and information. Programs such as the current journal internship may offer the opportunity for students to gain valuable professional experience and learn the logistics of journal publishing, thus potentially allowing for better dissemination of doctoral research. This article contributes a mechanism for increasing students’ understanding of the publication process, as well as improving research and writing self-efficacy. Future research may wish to explore the impact of technology and texting groups on student research self-efficacy and feelings of social support

Age Differences in Walden Faculty’s Satisfaction and Commitment

Very little is known about online faculty and their work habits. This survey study examined the effect of work habits and demographics on job satisfaction and commitment to the organization. The results indicate that faculty over 70 years of age are more satisfied and committed to Walden then faculty 30-49 years.https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/current/1025/thumbnail.jp