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What does an associate professor of education do?

Updated January 8, 2025
7 min read
Quoted expert
Rebecca Sarver

Associate Professors of Education are expected to contribute to the research and administration of a university. They are responsible for helping to lead the education curriculum as well as contribute to research and administration. Their duties include developing course materials and syllabus, assisting with lecturer training, conducting research, attending conferences, and publishing papers. They also supervise graduate students, mentor teaching assistants, review student selection for academic programs, organize faculty events, and write proposals to obtain research funding.

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Associate professor of education responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real associate professor of education resumes:

  • Develop and manage syllabus materials.
  • Develop and implement an adult educational program for GED preparation.
  • Mentore student leaders into institutionalizing broad policies and actions that better support international students, and the annual multicultural celebration.
  • Develop and implement an adult educational program for GED preparation.

Associate professor of education skills and personality traits

We calculated that 10% of Associate Professors Of Education are proficient in Educational Leadership, Professional Development, and K-12. They’re also known for soft skills such as Interpersonal skills, Speaking skills, and Writing skills.

We break down the percentage of Associate Professors Of Education that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • Educational Leadership, 10%

    Served as a guest lecturer for courses in Educational Leadership, Curriculum Studies, and Urban Education.

  • Professional Development, 10%

    Participated in needs assessment, planning, and implementation of various leadership and professional development seminars.

  • K-12, 8%

    Led and co-led the design, development and operation of professional learning conferences and meetings for K-12 educators.

  • Philosophy, 8%

    Maintained and enhanced traditional classroom delivery including lectures, content-driven media, and contextual applications of contemporary Humanities and Philosophy.

  • Curriculum Development, 7%

    Collaborate with the Business Technology Department team concerning plans of study, curriculum development, budgets and stakeholder evaluations.

  • Education Programs, 7%

    Served as faculty member in Graduate Professional Education Programs.

Most associate professors of education use their skills in "educational leadership," "professional development," and "k-12" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential associate professor of education responsibilities here:

Interpersonal skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for an associate professor of education to have is interpersonal skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "postsecondary teachers need to work well with others for tasks such as instructing students and serving on committees." Associate professors of education often use interpersonal skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "created original syllabus with emphasis on movement experiences to foster intra and interpersonal awareness. "

Speaking skills. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling associate professor of education duties is speaking skills. The role rewards competence in this skill because "postsecondary teachers need good communication skills to present lectures and provide feedback to students." According to an associate professor of education resume, here's how associate professors of education can utilize speaking skills in their job responsibilities: "presented results of 40 research projects at academic conferences. "

Writing skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of associate professors of education is writing skills. This skill is critical to many everyday associate professor of education duties, as "postsecondary teachers need strong writing ability to publish original research and analysis." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "instruct entry level writing and literature courses. "

All associate professor of education skills

Compare different associate professors of education

Associate professor of education vs. Faculty

A faculty member is an individual whose primary responsibility is to provide teaching and research to students in colleges and universities. Faculties must work with colleagues to design a curriculum to keep up with the changes in the discipline. They help their students choose majors and mentor them by way of face-to-face or electronic means. They also keep up their communication with alumni to assist with employment searches or career changes.

We looked at the average associate professor of education salary and compared it with the wages of a faculty. Generally speaking, faculties are paid $18,173 higher than associate professors of education per year.Even though associate professors of education and faculties are distinct careers, a few of the skills required for both jobs are similar. For example, both careers require professional development, philosophy, and curriculum development in the day-to-day roles and responsibilities.

These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of an associate professor of education are more likely to require skills like "educational leadership," "k-12," "education programs," and "teacher education." On the other hand, a job as a faculty requires skills like "patients," "rehabilitation," "student learning," and "scholarship." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.

The education levels that faculties earn slightly differ from associate professors of education. In particular, faculties are 6.0% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than an associate professor of education. Additionally, they're 13.9% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Associate professor of education vs. Student teacher

A student-teacher is responsible for assisting their supervising instructors in maintaining the class orderliness during lectures and class activities. Student teachers' duties include helping with lesson plans, organizing learning activities, managing student behaviors, observing classroom procedures, preparing visual materials and other educational equipment, providing feedback for students, and keeping students' records for evaluation. A student-teacher must maintain excellent communication and decision-making skills to set goals and make consistent progress to the class while keeping students engaged.

Student teacher positions earn lower pay than associate professor of education roles. They earn a $3,197 lower salary than associate professors of education per year.While the salary may differ for these jobs, they share a few skills needed to perform their duties. Based on resume data, both associate professors of education and student teachers have skills such as "professional development," "literature," and "social studies. "

While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that associate professor of education responsibilities requires skills like "educational leadership," "k-12," "philosophy," and "curriculum development." But a student teacher might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "classroom management," "math," "language arts," and "kindergarten."

Student teachers earn a lower average salary than associate professors of education. But student teachers earn the highest pay in the education industry, with an average salary of $54,049. Additionally, associate professors of education earn the highest salaries in the education with average pay of $63,828 annually.student teachers earn lower levels of education than associate professors of education in general. They're 7.9% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 13.9% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Associate professors of education in the next 3-5 years?

Rebecca SarverRebecca Sarver LinkedIn profile

Lecturer in Human Services Studies, Elmira College

The use of remote and virtual meetings will continue even after COVID-19. Face to face meetings may still be the preferred method of contact, but the reality is that many clients who need to access services do not have reliable and consistent transportation to get to the services. Phones and computers enable more convenient meetings that are less costly in terms of time and travel. Some clients may prefer not to leave their homes.

Associate professor of education vs. Lead teacher

The Lead Teacher works with parents to resolve student issues and train new teachers on effective teaching techniques. A Lead Teacher is a licensed teacher with extensive teaching experience and preferably has a master's in education or related studies. They are an integral part of a school's faculty and the principal's arm in drafting policies for implementation.

On average scale, lead teachers bring in lower salaries than associate professors of education. In fact, they earn a $28,580 lower salary per year.

The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, associate professors of education are more likely to have skills like "educational leadership," "k-12," "philosophy," and "curriculum development." But a lead teacher is more likely to have skills like "cpr," "customer service," "child care," and "child development."

Most lead teachers achieve a lower degree level compared to associate professors of education. For example, they're 11.4% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 23.4% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Associate professor of education vs. Middle school teacher

A middle school teacher is responsible for teaching students in grades six to eight, following a curriculum that fits on their grade levels to prepare them for the next advancement. Middle school teachers strategize effective lesson plans, engaging activities, and assessments to test the students' knowledge and understanding of the learning materials. They also observe the personal and developmental behaviors of the students by conducting group activities and performance. A middle school teacher identifies the students' strengths and weaknesses, adjusting the learning approach as needed to cater to each student's needs and difficulties.

Middle school teachers tend to earn a lower pay than associate professors of education by an average of $8,869 per year.According to resumes from associate professors of education and middle school teachers, some of the skills necessary to complete the responsibilities of each role are similar. These skills include "professional development," "curriculum development," and "english language. "

Even though a few skill sets overlap between associate professors of education and middle school teachers, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, an associate professor of education might have more use for skills like "educational leadership," "k-12," "philosophy," and "education programs." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of middle school teachers require skills like "classroom management," "math," "student learning," and "language arts. "

Middle school teachers enjoy the best pay in the education industry, with an average salary of $53,168. For comparison, associate professors of education earn the highest salary in the education industry.In general, middle school teachers hold similar degree levels compared to associate professors of education. Middle school teachers are 1.2% more likely to earn their Master's Degree and 22.5% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Types of associate professor of education

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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