The ties that teach: Examining the quality of faculty’s professional networks in higher education

Research into faculty development has primarily focused on individual skills and knowledge, while studies in other educational settings are increasingly considering the importance of collegial interactions for professional development and improved student outcomes. As collegial interactions may support or constrain faculty professional development in higher education, this study examines the quality of faculty’s professional networks at various levels of expertise. We gathered extensive qualitative and social network data from 30 faculty members. Findings show that expert faculty display more interdependence and depth in collegial interactions than faculty with lower or no expertise. This implies that faculty strengthen and deepen their collegial interactions as they develop their expertise, providing evidence for the importance of collegial interactions for faculty professional development.