Overview

ISKME is conducting a study of the Faculty Inquiry Network (FIN). Funded by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the Walter S. Johnson Foundation, and the San Francisco Foundation [hyperlinks to these foundation websites], FIN was launched in January 2009 as a professional development program and community of practice led by the Chabot-Las Positas Community College District [hyperlink to this website]. The purpose of FIN is to build a network of 18 colleges across the state to improve basic skills education through teacher professional development, inquiry, and knowledge sharing. FIN seeks to support faculty inquiry as they explore how students learn basic skills, their challenges to learning, and strategies to address those challenges, as well as document and share the outcome of the inquiries through media-based projects, such as videos and websites.

Our Approach

Working collaboratively with FIN project leaders, ISKME aims to support the implementation and development of the faculty inquiry model for basic skills teaching, both within the context of the participating colleges and the wider community college setting. Through a survey of FIN participants, site visits and interviews with participating faculty, students, and administrators, the goals of the research are to understand the practice and process of faculty inquiry, how faculty share knowledge and results, the impact of inquiry work on the participants and their institutions, and how the resources developed through FIN can be used to inform the larger community college field. The research seeks to understand the following:

Working collaboratively with FIN project leaders, ISKME aims to support the implementation and development of the faculty inquiry model for basic skills teaching, both within the context of the participating colleges and the wider community college setting. Through a survey of FIN participants, site visits and interviews with participating faculty, students, and administrators, the goals of the research are to understand the practice and process of faculty inquiry, how faculty share knowledge and results, the impact of inquiry work on the participants and their institutions, and how the resources developed through FIN can be used to inform the larger community college field. The research seeks to understand the following:

• How does professional development-based inquiry impact teaching and learning?
• In what ways does the Faculty Inquiry Network process add value to students and faculty? 
• What are the institutional and policy implications that emerge from the FIN teams’ work?
• What are the conditions under which the FIN teams flourish? What hinders their work?

Currently Underway

as of February 5, 2010

ISKME is conducting site visits at six community colleges in California to understand how the faculty are pursuing their inquiry work, how inquiry is impacting teaching and learning, and to gain understanding of the institutional contexts that allow inquiry teams to succeed.

To Learn More

Please contact info@iskme.org for more information