Board 120/Lessons Learned: "I Can’t Build It Because They Won’t Come": Faculty Survey Response Rates in Engineering Education Research

Obtaining faculty perspectives to enhance higher education teaching practices is an essential step in assessing and planning professional development and training. However, procuring this crucial feedback can often feel like an insurmountable challenge. In a recent research study aimed at gathering faculty feedback through an anonymous online survey, a notable revelation emerged – faculty members exhibit reluctance to participate in surveys. The question that arises is, how can we gain an understanding of the collective faculty perspective for professional development initiatives? Through quantitative analysis and insights drawn from the data collection process, the study unearthed some limitations during survey recruitment. It suggests that exploring changes in recruitment methods may be necessary to increase faculty participation. The aim of this paper is to understand potential barriers to faculty participation by examining response rates from a recent study conducted by the authors and propose changes that could potentially increase response rates for future studies. To achieve this, the study design and response rate outcomes are examined, followed by suggestions for modifications in survey recruitment.