Teaching and the Faculty Role: Enhancing the Commitment to Instruction in American Colleges and Universities

This article focuses on the role administrative action, socialization, and self-motivation play in shaping faculty behavior related to the teaching role. Drawing on a national database, the authors introduce a model that examines two teaching-related outcomes: (a) percentage of time spent on teaching and instruction and (b) preferred amount of teaching. The authors discuss policy implications in terms of four areas: early intervention, faculty/institutional fit, work allocation and workload, and rewards.