253 What the best animal science teachers do

Brian D Whitaker,Curtis Youngs,Bonnie Walters,Michael F Smith,William R Lamberson

doi:10.1093/jas/skaa278.341

Abstract

Abstract Great teachers have the extraordinary ability to inspire and motivate even those that resist learning. The top educators are not only knowledgeable about the content of the course they are teaching but often conscious of the information, literature and practice of instructional delivery to their audience. Many exemplary educators have been profiled and studied, followed by attempting to emulate from ambitious peers. However, there is a gap between the examples of disciplines published and what the teachers of animal science do. The objective of this study was to identify and describe what the characteristics are of the best animal science teachers in addition to identifying and describing what the characteristics are of their classroom environments and students. The inclusion criterion for selecting faculty was being bestowed an excellence in teaching award through their professional organization. Each teacher answered a series of questions about themselves, their students and the class being taught both before and after the lecture. Lecture was captured using a digital all-inclusive camera and later analyzed for pedagogical trends, instructor-student interactions and student engagement. Despite a variety of topics being taught, there were multiple trends emerging from these classrooms. Common events included reviewing previous lectures, distributing something physical to the students, posing questions during class and calling on students by name. Most students in every class were not distracted and asked questions. Each teacher taught differently, but they all understood their audience; they grasped the subject matter and most importantly, they valued students learning. Collectively, these findings can be adopted by other teachers and be applied and utilized in their own environment in an attempt to foster improved classrooms and student learning through excellent teaching.

Highlights

When What the Best College Teachers Do (Bain, 2004) was published, it arguably reinvigorated the teaching pedological landscape in higher education
More than a decade later, the number of publications focused on improvement of teaching has not waned and researchers continue to document instructors’ delivery of subject matter (Stevenson and Harris, 2014), students’ learning styles (Romanelli et al, 2009), and the best practices to align teaching and learning styles (Dinçol et al, 2011)
There are many ideas of what makes a great teacher, few are based on direct observation of classroom performance and even less that consider the animal science discipline

Summary

Introduction

When What the Best College Teachers Do (Bain, 2004) was published, it arguably reinvigorated the teaching pedological landscape in higher education. This book articulated that the best teachers facilitate learning that makes sustained, substantial, and positive influences in students’ development. His research and observations of over 60 teachers at a variety of institutions suggested that their students were satisfied with the instruction they received and had a desire to continue learning. Teachers encouraged their students to learn in ways that gained respect from their colleagues and the community. More than a decade later, the number of publications focused on improvement of teaching has not waned and researchers continue to document instructors’ delivery of subject matter (Stevenson and Harris, 2014), students’ learning styles (Romanelli et al, 2009), and the best practices to align teaching and learning styles (Dinçol et al, 2011). There is little debate that mastery of the subject matter is critical (Peer, 2015; Ford, 2016; Keeley et al, 2016; Noll, 2017), but it is widely accepted that expertise and experience do not always equate to being a quality teacher (Hattie, 2003)

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