Professional development access for Canadian post-secondary educators and its determinants: focus group consultations

Vandepol, Michelle A. (2023) Professional development access for Canadian post-secondary educators and its determinants: focus group consultations. Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

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Abstract

This qualitative study investigated the professional development access realities facing Canadian post-secondary instructors in a series of five focus groups over the summer and fall of 2022 employing a grounded theory approach where themes arising in the focus groups shaped the direction of the findings. The participants in this study were sixteen adult educators in both private and public educational settings in British Columbia working at six different organizations. The resulting findings are anticipated to help inform post-secondary policy makers, funders, and leaders and to affirm the experiences of those educators who are under pressure but not previously giving word to their struggle. Based on this study, and because of the increasing economic pressures facing post-secondary educators and their students today, it is recommended that further research be conducted: a) to better understand the impact of instructors’ professional development access on student success and retention. b) to better develop recommendations of best practices of professional development for the sector with a lens to equity and fiscal responsibility; and c) to examine the role of professional development access and supports in the post-secondary career trajectories of equity deserving groups.

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