| Description |
This exploratory study examines the faculty’s purposeful and creative work aimed at developing student learning outcomes and competencies for Elementary Teacher Education (ETE) in Utah. The research uses a single-case study design as a qualitative method to gain insight into the ETE Tuning process that was launched in Utah in 2011. Tuning is a college discipline level methodology of writing student learning outcomes and demonstrable competencies wherein faculty’s role is critical. The qualitative content analysis was conducted on data gathered through interviews, documents, field notes, and observations. The study explores the purposive work of actors to create, maintain, or disrupt institutions through the lens of institutional work analysis. The dissertation is organized in five chapters: introduction, literature review, methodology, findings, and discussion. Chapter 1 introduces the research: its context, purpose, research questions, and significance of the research. Chapter 2, literature review, consists of three sections: the research on quality models in higher education, the literature on Tuning as a current higher education reform, and the research on organizational change in higher education with special attention to institutional theory as a form of organizational analysis. Chapter 3, methodology, presents the rationale for the study, research design, the researcher’s positionality, data collection methods and data analysis plan, ethical and political considerations, and issues of trustworthiness of the proposed study. Chapter 4 contains the findings on ETE Tuning organized in three major sections: (1) developmental, dynamic, complex complicated, iterative process, (2) tenacious and tenuous collaboration, and (3) interrogating faculty practice. Chapter 5 discusses the research findings applied to leadership and the faculty Tuning work through institutional work. It also presents implications of the study for practice, policy and further research. |
