Winning an External Teaching Award in Higher Education: Teacher Identity and Recipient Characteristics

Abstract

Many universities and professional associations recognize excellence in teaching with awards; however, research findings on the impact of an award on teaching identity are mixed. The objective of this study was to qualify the impact of receiving a National or Regional United States Department of Agriculture Teaching, Extension, and Research Award (TERA) on teaching identity. Secondarily, this study explored how well award-winning teachers' self-identities and behaviors corresponded with recognized characteristics of excellent teaching. A phenomenological approach utilizing semistructured interviews and researcher reflexivity was used to gather information from 12 TERA recipients. Findings indicate that faculty members recognized for excellence in teaching demonstrate known characteristics of effective teachers, seek guidance from the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, and feel that teaching continues to be less valued than research in their institutional cultures. Results suggest that departmental and college level administrators can foster subcultures that promote teaching excellence through access to professional development opportunities, support for peer mentoring and evaluation, and revised promotion and tenure policies that recognize teaching effectiveness as a productivity metric.

Barriers and facilitating factors experienced by agriculture and natural resources university faculty members during the nomination process for teaching awards

“…In this study, we used semi-structured interviews to focus primarily on similar questions for each participant, with the freedom to ask potentially probing questions for greater clarification (Brown & Danaher, 2019). The following interview guide was developed following a review of literature and specific attention on the recommendations provided by Bethel et al (2021) and Woosnam et al (2021): The 12 interviews (ranging from 26 to 61 min) occurred between June and July of 2022. Each was recorded with the consent of participants via Zoom to allow for greater ease in data transcription.…”

“…For more senior faculty members, winning a national teaching award provides recognition for a faculty member within their university and across their broader academic discipline and leads to greater opportunities for leadership and collaboration (Woosnam et al., 2021). Teaching awards also provide a faculty member with external validation of their efforts in the classroom and incentivize continued development and exploration of new pedagogical methodologies with the recognition that excellent teaching is not a career capstone or a static condition, but a culmination of adaptive interactions among a teacher, students, and disciplinary content (Bethel et al., 2021; Waters & Waters, 2011). Beyond the recognition of the award itself, the process of assembling a teaching award nomination package is rewarding because it provides an opportunity for self‐reflection and development and allows a faculty member to formalize their teaching identity (Bethel et al., 2021; Fitzpatrick & Moore, 2015).…”

“…The program recognizes teaching excellence within the following three award categories: regional and national awards for mid‐career and senior faculty members with teaching appointments that may be supplemented with research and/or extension appointments; early career teachers with no more than 7 years of teaching experience; and teaching and student engagement for individuals with greater than 75% teaching appointments. Previous winners of the regional and national USDA teaching excellence awards noted the importance of an “influential other” (e.g., an Associate Dean, Department Head/Chair, or senior faculty member) who encouraged them to complete the nomination process for this award (Bethel et al., 2021). One characteristic of many USDA award‐winning teachers is a sense of humility about their teaching, and many expressed discomfort at nominating themselves for just “doing my job” (Bethel et al., 2021).…”

“…Previous winners of the regional and national USDA teaching excellence awards noted the importance of an “influential other” (e.g., an Associate Dean, Department Head/Chair, or senior faculty member) who encouraged them to complete the nomination process for this award (Bethel et al., 2021). One characteristic of many USDA award‐winning teachers is a sense of humility about their teaching, and many expressed discomfort at nominating themselves for just “doing my job” (Bethel et al., 2021). However, the purpose of the USDA teaching awards program is to highlight individuals who are demonstrating excellence in the classroom.…”

“…In the context of this study, the triadic reciprocity model would imply that already strong teachers would be more likely to have a positive experience with the award nomination process (the behavior) if others around them were also being recognized for exemplary teaching and if recipients of teaching awards were publicly acknowledged. With information about how faculty members experienced the teaching award nomination process and through the identification of any associated barriers or facilitating factors, university administrators will be more likely to guide an already strong teacher to regional or national prominence by serving as an “influential other” (Bethel et al., 2021) who supports excellent teachers through the award nomination process.…”