Abstract
The international literature on higher education emphasises the importance for academics and professional staff to develop their disciplinary teaching and learning practice. Teaching staff in built environment degree programs tend to focus on ‘what’ subject content is taught and less on ‘how to’ improve and innovate teaching and learning contexts and students’ skills development. To investigate these trends, this research reviewed the higher education literature and relevant international studies on strategies to enhance quality teaching and student learning. Findings highlight that reflective practice and engaging in a personal teaching philosophy and teaching profile provide an important link for individual professional development and basis for improving teaching and learning. The objective of this study was to apply findings from the literature in facilitating professional learning workshops, with a pedagogy for collaborative reflective practice and the development of a teaching philosophy. This research reports on the first stage of professional development for staff in built environment programs to establish a teaching profile through reflection on their personal and discipline specific pedagogies. Initial findings highlight the positive impact of reflection and collegial conversations about learning and teaching, as well as future opportunities for individual and discipline based capacity building for improving educational practice.
Highlights
HIGHER EDUCATION CONTEXTInternationalisation and digitisation of higher education teaching and learning has created global employment opportunities and mobility for academics and students alike (Hattingh et al, 2015)
Findings highlight that reflective practice and engaging in a personal teaching philosophy and teaching profile provide an important link for individual professional development and basis for improving teaching and learning
The objective of this study was to transfer and test the findings reported in the international literature for the development and facilitation of a professional learning workshops for built environment educators to engage in collaborative reflective practice and the development of their own personal teaching philosophy (Kennelly and McCormack, 2015; Ruge et al, 2019)
Summary
Internationalisation and digitisation of higher education teaching and learning has created global employment opportunities and mobility for academics and students alike (Hattingh et al, 2015). The current government funding and university reward systems are predominantly geared towards discipline-focused research outputs, rather than teaching innovation or educational publications (De La Harpe, Radloff and Wyber, 2000; Watty, 2003) In this context, it is becoming important to strengthen institutional connections from corporate strategy via faculty management to measurable student learning and skills outcomes in individual disciplines and courses (Borrego and Cutler, 2010; Mak et al, 2013). For the employing institutions managing an international and mobile cohort of expert employees, questions of underlying beliefs, values and expected contribution are emerging as critical factors to ensure continuity and sustainability To investigate these trends, this research reviewed the higher education literature and relevant international studies on increasing quality teaching and student learning
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