Abstract
Higher education exists for many reasons, but central to the purpose of any university is to increase the knowledge and skill of students. Effective teaching should presumably be central to this purpose, however, there is little information in the field regarding professors own attitudes toward teacher expertise and teacher improvement and how they go about the process of improving their pedagogical knowledge and skill. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore this issue at a small, private university in the Pacific. Twenty-five professors chosen from a wide variety of disciplines were interviewed. Questions contained a mix of quantitative and qualitative questions. Results indicated a consistent desire across campus to teach well and improve. There was also consistency in the attitude that professors were innovating often in their courses. There was less agreement as to whether the university administration valued the improvement of teaching skills with nearly half of the participants reporting they did not feel that was the case. This indicates a potential disconnect between professors and administrators. Regarding behaviors of professors in seeking help in improving their teaching, most reported going to colleagues and the internet as opposed to educational journals, administrators or a Center for Teaching and Learning on campus. Application of this study could be useful to professional developers, teaching centers, administrators and professors who are focused on improving their teaching.
Presenters
Ammon WilckenAssistant Professor and Program Lead, Education, BYU Hawaii, Hawaii, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Expertise, Teacher Improvement, Pedagogy, Higher Education, Innovation
