Perceptions versus Realities: Teaching Quality in Higher Education

Abstract

KeywordsThe purpose of this study is to investigate the perceptions of both students and faculty members on teaching quality in higher education, taking nationality, gender, GPA and faculty members' perceptions of university priorities into consideration. The mixed method approach was used to collect both quantitative and qualitative data simultaneously in the study. The quantitative data were collected from two countries: The United States and Turkey through a questionnaire developed for the study. Qualitative data were collected through focus group meetings; two with the faculty members and two with the students. The results indicated a difference between the perceptions of the student and faculty groups, regardless of nationality. In contrast to the students, faculty members perceived themselves competent in the three areas of delivery of instruction, rapport, and assessment. It was also found that nationality and GPA had an impact on students' perceptions whereas gender had an insignificant effect. As for perceived priorities, although both groups stated that teaching is important, it was interesting to note that Turkish group also emphasized administrative work and research/publication as priorities for the university. The results of this research suggests that more work is still needed to reach the high expectations for teaching quality in higher education such as in-service training and professional development activities, particularly on as self-reflection, improvement of teaching skills, and innovative teaching methods with an emphasis on technology. Teaching qualityHigher education PerceptionsArticle Info

Examination of the Quality Teaching in Turkish Higher Education Based on the External Evaluation Reports from Multiple Perspectives

“…However, it was revealed that these aspects cannot be functionally and effectively used to enable students to acquire the necessary skills in real life. Similar result was emphasized by Ustunluoglu (2016Ustunluoglu ( , 2017. The reports conducted by Hénard ( 2010) highlight that universities should put more effort into developing quality teaching, with an emphasis on pedagogy enhancement, support for student learning, and continuing education for faculty members.…”

“…It was found that the students and academicians have different opinions. A similar result was identified by Ustunluoglu (2017Ustunluoglu ( , 2016. In similar two studies, the researcher compared the perceptions of the students and academicians involved in the faculties of education of one university in Turkey and one university in Slovakia; and one university in Turkey and one university in the USA with regard to the qualities of teaching methods, classroom management, and assessment-evaluation activities implemented in the lessons.…”

“…However, it was identified that few studies (Dakovic & Gover, 2019;Hénard, 2010) were conducted to comprehensively promote quality teaching in higher education. Therefore, more studies are required to be implemented for quality teaching in higher education (Ustunluoglu, 2016). There are a quite few research studies on the quality of teaching in the Turkish higher education institutions.…”

The Role of Artificial Intelligence Techniqies in Improving the Behavior and Practices of Faculty Members When Switching to E-Learning in Light of the Covid-19 Crisis

“…The students' assessment has also become a priority method because, as many sources have pointed out, the teaching performance can be measured at the student level as the direct recipient of teaching (Steinberg & Garrett, 2016). Ustünlüoğlu (2016) suggested that a measure of the academic success or degree expectancy of a university should be taken into account in order to provide an in-depth analysis of the findings in other variables, including ethnicity, gender, and average grade point. The quality of the education would improve through an emphasis on the student needs and desires, a comparison of the teaching staff's performance and competencies, and the development of good higher education assessment systems.…”

Desempeño docente y logro de aprendizajes en estudiantes universitarios

“…Asimismo, repercuten en la manera de concebir el nuevo papel que deben cumplir tanto las universidades como instituciones encargadas de impartir cultura. Se requiere entonces que las universidades capaciten de manera permanente a sus docentes en el ámbito pedagógico y humanístico para que puedan adquirir las habilidades que potencien el aprendizaje de los estudiantes (García, 2017;Quiroz & Franco, 2019;Üstünlüoğlu, 2016). Si bien los estudios inciden en la capacitación de los docentes, de pasar de una enseñanza empírica a una sistematizada, se debe tener en cuenta la implementación de un proceso de evaluación eficaz del desempeño docente que pueda verificar la validez de los resultados (Escudero, 2019).…”