Average or Outlier? Introductory Statistics Adjunct Instructors’ Beliefs, Practices, and Experiences

Authors

Samantha Estrada Aguilera, University of Texas at TylerFollow
Erica Martinez, University of Texas at TylerFollow

Abstract

In recent years, the adjunct faculty phenomenon has grown steadily. This research focused on adjunct instructors teaching introductory statistics courses. The purpose of the study was to give a voice to adjunct instructors by allowing them to describe their experiences teaching statistics. We conducted a qualitative study with 15 adjunct instructors of introductory statistics through semi-structured interviews. The participants came from several fields: psychology, nursing, and business, among others. Thematic analysis was used to find themes of statistical anxiety, use of technology in the classroom, lack of curriculum flexibility, and connection to the host institution. Our findings can inform institutions and interdisciplinary departments hosting introductory statistics courses. Similarly, educational statisticians can gain knowledge on the practices and barriers of adjunct instructors.

Keywords

adjunct instructors, undergraduate statistics education, statistics education, thematic analysis, in-depth interviews, case study

Author Bio(s)

Samantha Estrada has a Ph.D. in Applied Statistics and Research Methods. She teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in statistics and research methods to psychology students at the University of Texas at Tyler. Recent publications can be found in Mathematics (2021) and Evaluation and Program Planning (2018) and an appendix in the book Ethics for Social Science Research: Becoming Culturally Responsive (2017). Her research interests include statistics education, survey development and measurement. Correspondence regarding this article can also be addressed directly to: Samantha Estrada, estr2525@gmail.com.

Erica Martinez is a Master student in Clinical Psychology at the University of Texas at Tyler. She works as a Pediatric Nurse at Thrive Home Health in Tyler, Tx. Her research interests include anxiety, coping skills in panic disorder, abnormal psychology, and childhood development. Correspondence regarding this article can also be addressed directly to: Erica Martinez, emartinez29@patriots.uttyler.edu.

Acknowledgements

This work was made possible through a Office of Research, Scholarship, and Sponsored Programs (ORSSP) at the University of Texas at Tyler New Faculty grant.

Publication Date

6-13-2023

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License.

DOI

10.46743/2160-3715/2023.5971

Recommended APA Citation

Estrada Aguilera, S., & Martinez, E. (2023). Average or Outlier? Introductory Statistics Adjunct Instructors’ Beliefs, Practices, and Experiences. The Qualitative Report, 28(6), 1769-1786. https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2023.5971

ORCID ID

0000-0002-8661-7292