What does an adjunct biology instructor do?
An adjunct biology instructor is an adjunct faculty member whose responsibility is to teach biology-related courses. Adjunct biology instructors are educators who are employed on a part-time or contractual basis. Typically, they teach prep or introductory undergraduate courses every semester for the entire academic year. The instructors conduct lectures and lab experiments and other activities. It is expected of them to maintain equipment, reagent inventories, and labs. They also provide assistance in developing and revising the necessary courses.
Adjunct biology instructor responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real adjunct biology instructor resumes:
- Lead and engage students in case study discussions regarding physiological scenarios.
- Develop and implement class syllabus, complement and implement existing lecture and laboratory instructional materials.
- Design research skills seminar to provide advanced training in technical laboratory skills to communication within the scientific community and the public.
- Incorporate technology into the classroom via computers, word processing, Internet research, PowerPoint presentations and various problem solving exercises.
- Present course information via Microsoft PowerPoint.
- Introduce undergraduate students to concepts in intermediate microeconomics, money & banking, corporate finance and environmental economics.
- Conduct role-playing exercises in a management class that provide students with solutions to everyday economics and business issues.
- Present college-level courses in sociology, psychology, humanities, philosophy, and communications through a variety of innovative technologies.
Adjunct biology instructor skills and personality traits
We calculated that 15% of Adjunct Biology Instructors are proficient in Anatomy, Student Learning, and General Biology. They’re also known for soft skills such as Interpersonal skills, Speaking skills, and Writing skills.
We break down the percentage of Adjunct Biology Instructors that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Anatomy, 15%
Instructed students in basic and advanced topics of Biology, Physiology and Anatomy with laboratory
- Student Learning, 14%
Participate in the assessment and evaluation of student learning outcomes.
- General Biology, 7%
Conduct general biology laboratory activities to demonstrate the principles of natural scientific phenomena.
- Learning Outcomes, 7%
Maintained records of course enrollment, attendance, student's academic progress and learning outcomes.
- Science Courses, 7%
Designed online Environmental Science course with laboratory.
- Teaching Methodologies, 6%
Utilized multiple teaching methodologies that included visual, linguistic and auditory materials to reinforce or re-teach.
Common skills that an adjunct biology instructor uses to do their job include "anatomy," "student learning," and "general biology." You can find details on the most important adjunct biology instructor responsibilities below.
Interpersonal skills. One of the key soft skills for an adjunct biology instructor to have is interpersonal skills. You can see how this relates to what adjunct biology instructors do because "postsecondary teachers need to work well with others for tasks such as instructing students and serving on committees." Additionally, an adjunct biology instructor resume shows how adjunct biology instructors use interpersonal skills: "developed course materials and student performance evaluation methods for undergraduate courses in: interpersonal communication, communication research methods. "
Speaking skills. Many adjunct biology instructor duties rely on speaking skills. "postsecondary teachers need good communication skills to present lectures and provide feedback to students.," so an adjunct biology instructor will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways adjunct biology instructor responsibilities rely on speaking skills: "presented dynamic informative lectures on human anatomy and physiology. "
Writing skills. This is an important skill for adjunct biology instructors to perform their duties. For an example of how adjunct biology instructor responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "postsecondary teachers need strong writing ability to publish original research and analysis." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of an adjunct biology instructor: "instructed students in calculus, economics, and collegiate writing amongst other subjects; k - college range of teaching experience. ".
The three companies that hire the most adjunct biology instructors are:
- State of Georgia: Teachers Retirement System of Georgia6 adjunct biology instructors jobs
- Kern Community College District4 adjunct biology instructors jobs
- Virginia's Community Colleges3 adjunct biology instructors jobs
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Compare different adjunct biology instructors
Adjunct biology instructor vs. Science faculty member
A science faculty member teaches the science subject and facilitates laboratory activities. They can work in elementary schools, high schools, and even colleges and universities. Their responsibilities typically include developing lesson and coursework plans, preparing teaching materials, conducting quizzes and examinations, establishing guidelines, and monitoring the students' academic progress, assisting them when necessary. Moreover, as a science faculty member, it is essential to maintain an active communication line with the faculty staff and keep a safe and healthy classroom environment for the students.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, adjunct biology instructor responsibilities require skills like "student learning," "general biology," "learning outcomes," and "teaching methodologies." Meanwhile a typical science faculty member has skills in areas such as "philosophy," "social work," "physiology," and "scholarship." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
The education levels that science faculty members earn slightly differ from adjunct biology instructors. In particular, science faculty members are 12.0% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than an adjunct biology instructor. Additionally, they're 5.5% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Adjunct biology instructor vs. Science department chairperson
The work of a research associate professor is conducting research, publishing papers, and attending conferences. The professor is also tasked with the job of attending academic events and networking with other researchers and field experts, as well as supervising, advising, and mentoring teaching assistants and graduate students.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, adjunct biology instructor responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "general biology," "learning outcomes," "teaching methodologies," and "learning environment." Meanwhile, a science department chairperson has duties that require skills in areas such as "classroom management," "science curriculum," "chemistry," and "instructional strategies." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
On average, science department chairpeople earn a lower salary than adjunct biology instructors. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, science department chairpeople earn the most pay in the education industry with an average salary of $55,265. Whereas adjunct biology instructors have higher pay in the education industry, with an average salary of $62,630.science department chairpeople earn similar levels of education than adjunct biology instructors in general. They're 1.8% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 5.5% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Adjunct biology instructor vs. Professor of microbiology
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from adjunct biology instructor resumes include skills like "anatomy," "student learning," "general biology," and "learning outcomes," whereas a professor of microbiology is more likely to list skills in "microorganisms," "laboratory equipment," "general microbiology," and "animal production. "
When it comes to education, professors of microbiology tend to earn lower degree levels compared to adjunct biology instructors. In fact, they're 9.6% less likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 14.4% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Adjunct biology instructor vs. Research associate professor
Even though a few skill sets overlap between adjunct biology instructors and research associate professors, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, an adjunct biology instructor might have more use for skills like "anatomy," "student learning," "general biology," and "learning outcomes." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of research associate professors require skills like "public health," "biomedical," "research projects," and "sas. "
In general, research associate professors earn the most working in the health care industry, with an average salary of $113,117. The highest-paying industry for an adjunct biology instructor is the education industry.research associate professors reach lower levels of education compared to adjunct biology instructors, in general. The difference is that they're 9.9% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 22.7% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Types of adjunct biology instructor
Updated January 8, 2025
