Beyond Contingency: A Pedagogical Effectiveness Framework for Part-time Faculty Integration in Higher Education

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18572916

Keywords:

Part-time faculty, contingent faculty, pedagogical effectiveness, higher education, Metro Manila, faculty development, academic labor, educational equity

Abstract

This study examines the integration of part-time faculty within higher education institutions across Metro Manila and the National Capital Region (NCR) of the Philippines. Despite constituting a significant portion of the academic workforce, contingent faculty often operate within institutional frameworks that fail to optimize their pedagogical potential. Through a mixed-methods approach involving surveys (n=215) and semi-structured interviews (n=28) with part-time instructors across twelve higher education institutions, this research identifies key structural barriers to effective integration while proposing a comprehensive Pedagogical Effectiveness Framework that reconceptualizes contingent faculty engagement. The findings reveal substantial disparities in professional development opportunities, institutional support mechanisms, and pedagogical autonomy afforded to part-time faculty compared to their full-time counterparts. Analysis demonstrates that these disparities significantly impact teaching effectiveness, student outcomes, and faculty job satisfaction. The proposed framework addresses these challenges through a three-dimensional model encompassing institutional policy reform, pedagogical capacity building, and community of practice development. This research contributes to the scholarly discourse on higher education workforce dynamics by challenging traditional contingency models, particularly within the unique socioeconomic and educational context of Metro Manila. The Pedagogical Effectiveness Framework offers actionable strategies for educational leaders and policymakers to enhance instructional quality while creating more equitable academic environments. Recommendations include structural reforms to departmental integration practices, targeted professional development initiatives, and mechanisms.

References

Balocon, O. H. (2026). Teaching and learning focused faculty promotion in Philippine state universities using the Teaching

Excellence Framework. The International Review of Multidisciplinary Research. 1 (1), 8-17.

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18255403

Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101.

https://psychology.ukzn.ac.za/?mdocs-file=1176

Commission on Higher Education. (2023). Higher education indicators in the Philippines: 2022-2023.

https://ro11.ched.gov.ph/3d-flip-book/statistical-bulletin-for-2022-2023/

Dela Cruz, M. (2020). Contingent faculty in Philippine higher education: Examining challenges and opportunities. Philippine

Journal of Education, 99(2), 78–96.

Fernandez, A. (2022). The invisible academic workforce: Part-time faculty experiences in Metro Manila universities. Asian Journal

of Higher Education, 12(3), 215–233.

Figlio, D. N., Schapiro, M. O., & Soter, K. B. (2015). Are tenure track professors better teachers? Review of Economics and

Statistics, 97(4), 715–724. https://doi.org/10.3386/w19406

Johnson, R., Stewart, C., & Bach, D. (2019). The Faculty Workplace Climate Survey: Development and validation. Journal of

Faculty Development, 33(2), 45–61. (No DOI found; related surveys at

https://ofew.berkeley.edu/sites/default/files/faculty_climate_survey_2019_report_executive_summary.pdf

Kezar, A. (2013). Examining non-tenure track faculty perceptions of how departmental policies and practices shape their

performance and ability to create student learning at four-year institutions. Research in Higher Education, 54(5), 571–

598. https://prowriting.web.illinois.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Examining-Non-Tenure-Track-Faculty

Kezar, A., & Maxey, D. (2016). The current context for faculty work in higher education. In P. G. Altbach, M. J. Finkelstein, & E.

C. Schuster (Eds.), The faculty factor: Reassessing the American academy in a turbulent era (pp. 13–34). Johns Hopkins

University Press. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/016146811411601007

Santos, J., & Ramos, L. (2022). Faculty development programs in the Philippines: Inclusion and exclusion patterns. Southeast

Asian Journal of Educational Research, 15(1), 45–67.

https://vipublisher.com/index.php/vij/article/download/241/228/517

Shulman, L. S. (1986). Those who understand: Knowledge growth in teaching. Educational Researcher, 15(2), 4–14.

https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ330821

Sorcinelli, M. D., Austin, A. E., & Eddy, P. L. (2019). Creating the future of faculty development: Learning from the past,

understanding the present. Jossey-Bass. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/tl.20048

Tushman, M. L., & Scanlan, T. J. (1981). Boundary spanning individuals: Their role in information transfer and their antecedents.

Academy of Management Journal, 24(2), 289–305. https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/item.aspx?num=2819

Villanueva, J. (2021). Academic precarity and institutional policies: Navigating part-time teaching in Philippine universities. Higher

Education Quarterly, 75(2), 189–205.

Waltman, J., Bergom, I., Hollenshead, C., Miller, J., & August, L. (2012). Factors contributing to job satisfaction and dissatisfaction

among non-tenure-track faculty. Journal of Higher Education, 83(3), 411–434. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ986538

Wenger, E. (1998). Communities of practice: Learning, meaning, and identity. Cambridge University Press.

Downloads

Published

2026-02-10

How to Cite

Beyond Contingency: A Pedagogical Effectiveness Framework for Part-time Faculty Integration in Higher Education. (2026). The International Review of Multidisciplinary Research, 1(2). https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18572916

Similar Articles

1-10 of 13

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.