Freshmen who have many of their courses taught by adjuncts are less likely than other students to return as sophomores, according to a study of four-year schools in a state system. The measured impact of adjunct instruction varies by institution type and also the type of adjunct used, a published summary of the report explains. For instance, students taking courses from adjuncts who are "well supported" by their institutions appear to perform better than instructors in other self-identified categories.
The study does not involve community colleges, but it does raise interesting questions, since the majority of classes at many two-year schools are taught by part-time instructors. And, given the budgetary situation, that's not likely to change any time soon.
The report is covered nicely in an article by Scott Jaschik in Inside Higher Ed.
The authors of the study are Audrey J. Jaeger, associate professor of higher education at North Carolina State University, and M. Kevin Eagan, a postdoctoral research fellow at the Higher Education Research Institute of the University of California at Los Angeles.
The two scholars say they aren't suggesting that adjuncts are bad instructors, or that the path to better retention is using fewer of them. They also stress that their findings appear to validate those who argue that adjuncts measure up well (1) when they teach for single institutions and (2) if they are provided with abundant support.
In the metropolitan areas of Texas, it is common for adjunct instructors to dash back and forth to an assortment of community colleges, using different textbooks and other course materials at each site. In this scenario, it is also difficult for the part-timers to advise students adequately.
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