Laura Lee, Catherine O’ Mahony
This research critically evaluates survey data gathered from staff who support student learning in Higher Education, on the topic of professional development (PD) in Teaching and Learning (T&L). As coordinators of PD activities for staff and postgraduate students, we are interested in exploring the following research questions:
- To what extent do staff who support student learning engage in PD opportunities, including activities related to the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL)?
- What are the interests and needs of staff in relation to PD in T&L?
- Do factors such as employment status, position, and discipline influence the types of PD activities in T&L that staff engage in and have interest in, including activities specifically related to SoTL?
- Are there barriers to participation in PD opportunities?
Underpinning this research is the recognition that the demands of teaching in higher education (HE) are numerous, and research has indicated that many teachers are unprepared for same (European Science Foundation, 2011). Teaching staff play a central role in the learning experience of students, and it is vital that they are equipped to perform in a complex learning culture. The European University Association’s recent position paper acknowledges that ‘enhancing L&T requires promoting staff development ‘, while the European Principles for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching (2018) speak to the significance of recognising teaching as ‘a professional and skilled activity’. We see teaching, then, as a profession in need of specialised support which is both dynamic and continuous.
Recent research (e.g. Slowey, Kozina, & Tan, 2014; Teichler & Cummings, 2015) has highlighted the keen interest of academic staff in a wide range of academic development topics and in SoTL. The current study aims to build on this work by exploring the current T&L landscape of our staff, as per the research questions outlined above. Qualitative data, derived from open-ended comments, will provide rich insight into the voiced opinions of staff regarding the methods and actions which would best support their teaching. Our ultimate aim is for these data to guide the professional development activities in T&L offered to our staff. More broadly, these results will allow us to situate this review within a broader international conversation about how to enhance the quality of teaching in Higher Education.
