A Project Focused on Faculty Development in Lebanese Private Higher Education

This project examined the practices of professional development in one Lebanese private higher education institution. The purpose of this project was to identify faculty perceptions regarding their professional development in order to clarify the areas in which improvements are needed. After extensive reading, the topic was identified and a quasi-action research approach was designed. The focus was best practices in faculty development in higher education in a Lebanese university. The first step was to gain background knowledge and information in the areas of professional development history, types, and criteria for efficiency. The next step was the formulation of the research questions which provided a narrowed approach to the reading. Once the project design was completed, a review of the literature on professional development practices in education with a focus on higher education was conducted in order to identify the criteria for effective professional development and accountability. Next, a sample of part-time and full-time instructors at an American-system private university in Lebanon provided feedback on current practices and opportunities of faculty development and benchmarks for accountability through a confidential survey administered by e-mail. The survey included ten questions about the participants' personal initiative for faculty development as well as the frequency of activities provided by their institution. Quantitative data was gathered by analyzing the faculty responses to the survey questions. The researcher found that research concerning faculty development in Lebanese higher education was sparse. As a result, there is a need for professional development standards of best practices for Lebanese higher education. Based on the data provided through the survey, the researcher recommended several changes to the current professional development practices in Lebanese higher education with human resource, financial, and time implications for action.