Study finds that students learn more from non-tenure-track instructors ~ Inside Higher Ed | :: The 4th Era :: | Scoop.it

by Scott Jaschik

summary by Carnegie Perspectives


"A major new study has found that new students at Northwestern University learn more when their instructors are adjuncts than when they are tenure-track professors. The study -- released this morning by the National Bureau of Economic Research -- found that the gains are greatest for the students with the weakest academic preparation. And the study found that the gains extended across a wide range of disciplines. The authors of the study suggest that by looking at measures of student learning, and not just course or program completion, their work may provide a significant advance in understanding the impact of non-tenure-track instructors."