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Faculty Perceptions of Their Disciplinary Cultures: Re-Evaluating Biglan's Dimensions

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Title: Faculty Perceptions of Their Disciplinary Cultures: Re-Evaluating Biglan's Dimensions
Language: English
Authors: Stephen C. Hiller (ORCID 0000-0003-4073-1740), Emily Braught (ORCID 0009-0007-4600-2916), Thomas Nelson Laird (ORCID 0000-0002-5065-258X), Allison BrckaLorenz (ORCID 0000-0002-1482-6554)
Source: Research in Higher Education. 2026 67(1).
Availability: Springer. Available from: Springer Nature. One New York Plaza, Suite 4600, New York, NY 10004. Tel: 800-777-4643; Tel: 212-460-1500; Fax: 212-460-1700; e-mail: customerservice@springernature.com; Web site: https://link.springer.com/
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 30
Publication Date: 2026
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Postsecondary Education
Descriptors: Learner Engagement, College Faculty, Teacher Surveys, Intellectual Disciplines, Teacher Attitudes, Classification, Culture
Assessment and Survey Identifiers: Faculty Survey of Student Engagement
DOI: 10.1007/s11162-025-09875-1
ISSN: 0361-0365
1573-188X
Abstract: For fifty years, the Biglan dimensions have been frequently relied on by researchers interested in considering disciplinary differences as parts of their studies; however, applying a cultural lens draws attention to the possibility that over time, disciplinary cultures may have changed. This exploratory study examined faculty perceptions of their disciplinary cultures by adding an item set derived from common definitions and descriptors of Biglan's dimensions onto the 2022 Faculty Survey of Student Engagement (FSSE). For 680 faculty at four-year colleges and universities, across 98 disciplines, results indicated that our items formed three scales of disciplinary cultures -- Consensus, Pure Scholarship, and Life Systems -- that align with Biglan's dimensions. Faculty perceptions of their disciplinary cultures showed considerable variation across all three scales and disciplinary means and clusters do not necessarily align with how disciplines would be categorized using the Biglan dimensions. Our findings suggest the possibility that the cultures of some disciplines have evolved and that scholars should exercise caution in how they interpret dichotomous or categorical applications of Biglan's dimensions to understanding faculty work.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1501948
Database: ERIC
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Stephen+C%2E+Hiller%22">Stephen C. Hiller</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4073-1740">0000-0003-4073-1740</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Emily+Braught%22">Emily Braught</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="http://orcid.org/0009-0007-4600-2916">0009-0007-4600-2916</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Thomas+Nelson+Laird%22">Thomas Nelson Laird</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5065-258X">0000-0002-5065-258X</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Allison+BrckaLorenz%22">Allison BrckaLorenz</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1482-6554">0000-0002-1482-6554</externalLink>)
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  Data: Springer. Available from: Springer Nature. One New York Plaza, Suite 4600, New York, NY 10004. Tel: 800-777-4643; Tel: 212-460-1500; Fax: 212-460-1700; e-mail: customerservice@springernature.com; Web site: https://link.springer.com/
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  Data: For fifty years, the Biglan dimensions have been frequently relied on by researchers interested in considering disciplinary differences as parts of their studies; however, applying a cultural lens draws attention to the possibility that over time, disciplinary cultures may have changed. This exploratory study examined faculty perceptions of their disciplinary cultures by adding an item set derived from common definitions and descriptors of Biglan's dimensions onto the 2022 Faculty Survey of Student Engagement (FSSE). For 680 faculty at four-year colleges and universities, across 98 disciplines, results indicated that our items formed three scales of disciplinary cultures -- Consensus, Pure Scholarship, and Life Systems -- that align with Biglan's dimensions. Faculty perceptions of their disciplinary cultures showed considerable variation across all three scales and disciplinary means and clusters do not necessarily align with how disciplines would be categorized using the Biglan dimensions. Our findings suggest the possibility that the cultures of some disciplines have evolved and that scholars should exercise caution in how they interpret dichotomous or categorical applications of Biglan's dimensions to understanding faculty work.
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