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ERIC Number: EJ1335486
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2020-Apr
Pages: 39
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-0740-2708
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Learning from Teachers: A Needs Assessment of Faculty in Postsecondary Correctional Education
Weaver, Anne; Rousseau, Danielle; Napior, Amanda J. G.
Journal of Correctional Education, v71 n1 p18-56 Apr 2020
The Boston University (BU) Prison Education Program (PEP) offers undergraduate degrees to students who are incarcerated at two Massachusetts state prisons. Twenty-five full-time BU and adjunct faculty teach postsecondary education courses to students who are incarcerated in a variety of liberal arts subjects in the program. This needs assessment was developed to gain insight into BU PEP faculty experiences--including any potentially unaddressed needs--to develop additional support systems and resources for faculty while teaching in the PEP. A 26-item survey was emailed to the 25 PEP faculty who currently teach in the program. Fourteen faculty members completed the survey, and the results are described in this article. The survey's findings closely reflect previous studies on this subject. Although 71.4% of faculty reported that they loved teaching in the PEP, numerous challenges were described by respondents, including obstructive correctional institutional policies and procedures, limited access to students, and consistent delays associated with entering the prisons to teach, resulting in frequent and substantial tardiness to their classes. Bringing "outside" pedagogic materials to class, such as books, videos, or even teaching notes, was another obstacle faculty frequently reported, as was accessing needed academic resources for students. Institutional disciplinary policies, resulting in absenteeism and student attrition, were another commonly mentioned challenge for teaching. Four new suggested resources were rated by their usefulness to PEP faculty in the survey, including PEP faculty mentorship, a BU PEP faculty information manual, a PEP faculty online discussion group, and an informational workshop for faculty prior to the start of the semester. Faculty members who recently joined the PEP (within the last 2 years) were more favorable to the implementation of new suggested support systems and resources than were faculty who had been teaching in the program for more than 3 years.
Correctional Education Association. 8182 Lark Brown Road Suite 202, Elkridge, MD 21075. Tel: 443-459-3080; Fax: 443-459-3088; e-mail: ceaoffice@aol.com; Web site: http://www.ceanational.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Tests/Questionnaires; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Massachusetts (Boston)
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A