Date of Award
2024
Degree Type
Open Access Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education (EdD)
Department
Educational Leadership and Policy Studies
First Advisor
Mary Jo Krile
Second Advisor
Christopher Budano
Third Advisor
Jennifer Fairchild
Abstract
This dissertation research explores how college instructors perceive and demonstrate care toward students. This research also seeks to consider how the Covid-19 pandemic influenced instructors’ caring behaviors. Although instructor care has been linked to several positive student outcomes, including persistence, little research has examined caring behaviors from the instructor’s perspective. In addition, how the pandemic’s aftermath continues to transform college teaching and learning is an area ripe for further scholarly investigation. Findings from semi-structured interviews and interpretive phenomenological analysis revealed that faculty conceptualize caring behaviors as a negotiated relationship between instructor and student. This negotiated relationship was characterized by responding to students as unique individuals, balancing care with expectations for the student, and investing significant emotional labor into the relationship. Furthermore, the findings indicated that faculty experienced significant challenges during and after the pandemic. Such challenges included addressing the exceptional needs of today’s college student, adjusting to online learning environments, and navigating an often-demoralizing climate in higher education. Keywords: instructor caring, Covid-19, ethic of care, college faculty, phenomenology
Recommended Citation
Kimmel, Krista, "Compelled To Care? Exploring College Instructors’ Conceptualizations And Expressions Of Care Toward Students" (2024). Online Theses and Dissertations. 839.
https://encompass.eku.edu/etd/839
