Beyond evaluative studies: perceptions of teaching qualifications from probationary lecturers in the UK

The scholarship of teaching and learning and pedagogic research within the disciplines: should it be included in the research excellence framework?

“…This has come to the fore in UK academia as a contractual requirement of an increasing number of teaching-focused academics; that is, those academics who are employed as teaching fellows, with a requirement to 'engage in scholarship', or those academics on a teaching and research contract who choose to carry out pedagogic, rather than disciplinary research. SoTL, as PedR, has become an integral part of the teaching-focused academic's repertoire, aided by the introduction of the postgraduate qualification in higher education which is required by most higher education institutions in the UK as part of academic probation (Smith, 2011), although post-PGCert support for SoTL remains inconsistent (Tierney, 2016).…”

Common themes and missing pieces: the educational value of postgraduate teaching development programmes

“…Many studies indicate that participants find it challenging to manage their time and workload when studying for a TDP (Smith, 2011;Kalbinder and Pesata, 2009;Hanbury et al, 2008). Consequently, when department heads and line managers help reduce workload, participants find this reduces pressure and enables them more fully to engage in and benefit from the programme (Donnelly, 2008).…”

“…It has also been suggested that the teaching and learning content and approaches used in TDPs are rarely subject-or discipline-specific: they focus too heavily on generic skills and can sometimes be incompatible with teaching practice in participants' own departments (Smith, 2011;Hanbury et al, 2008;Lisewski, 2006;Trowler and Cooper, 2002). In responding to these criticisms, some TDP developers have designed their teaching and learning content so that participants are encouraged to engage actively with the teaching nuances characteristic of their differing discipline areas (Quinn, 2003).…”

“…Bamber herself surveyed ninety-three institutions and found that any evidence of the impact of such programmes was mostly anecdotal (Bamber, 2002). Self-reporting 2 has been undertaken through questionnaires and interviews on completion of such programmes and has been a common method of gaining data for these studies (Butcher and Stoncel, 2012;Smith, 2011;Cilliers and Herman, 2010;Donnelly, 2008;Ginns et al, 2008;Stes et al, 2007;Quinn, 2003).…”

Faculty Development for a New Curriculum: Implementing a Strategy for Veterinary Teachers within the Wider University Context

“…Enthusiastic, skilled individuals can have demonstrable impact at an organisational level 25 , but community-wide engagement is important to maximise the impact of any faculty-development initiative 1,26 . Faculty development strategies should strive to develop a strong community of practice 27 : a community with a shared knowledge and common goal, an emphasis on relationships both internal and external, and a sense of value of the work of the community.…”