Collaborative Research: An Exploration of Science Faculty Motivation in Providing Student Accommodations

This project aims to serve the national interest by advancing our understanding of how universities nationwide can improve support for science faculty instructors in providing accommodations for students with disabilities in their classes. While the process of providing formal accommodations in higher education classrooms is initiated by students and coordinated typically by a disability or accessibility center, the actual implementation of accommodations is highly dependent on faculty instructors. Because faculty at different institutions have different responsibilities, resources, and student bodies, the context of providing accommodations likely varies greatly by the type of institution. Additional variables including rising numbers of students with disabilities and an increased use of active learning and hybrid/remote instruction inevitably influences a faculty instructor's experiences and willingness to provide accommodations to students with disabilities. By identifying and understanding the factors that impact faculty instructor motivation to provide accommodations, this project aims to elicit needed information on how to support science faculty instructors in meeting the needs of undergraduate students with disabilities. This project plans to identify personal, institutional, and logistical factors that impact how science faculty instructors administer accommodations to students with disabilities. Because factors including class sizes, accessibility center resources, numbers of students who receive accommodations, faculty instructor responsibilities and expectations, and teaching support resources vary greatly by institution, this project will disaggregate findings by four different institution types (community colleges, primarily undergraduate institutions, comprehensive institutions, and research-intensive institutions). This project includes a nationwide interview study to identify how different factors impact a science faculty member's expected ability and value for the task of providing accommodations for students. To increase the generalizability of this work, the project plans to use findings from the interview study to inform development of three survey instruments, designed to measure science faculty's: (1) motivation to provide accommodations; (2) perceptions of the logistical, situational, and instrumental factors that impact student accommodations; and (2) personal knowledge of disability and accommodations. After instrument validation, the project plans to deploy the three survey instruments to science faculty at institutions nationwide. Data analysis will explore how different factors impact science faculty instructor's motivation and experiences with providing accommodations. Outcomes will be disseminated through publications, presentations, as well as videos, recorded talks and blog postings. The NSF IUSE: EDU Program supports research and development projects to improve the effectiveness of STEM education for all students. Through the Engaged Student Learning track, the program supports the creation, exploration, and implementation of promising practices and tools. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.