How Do We Prepare to Teach? Exploring Science Lecturers\u2019 Authentic Approaches to Teaching in Higher Education

Deesha Chadha

doi:10.1007/s11165-020-09972-4

Abstract

In this paper, science lecturers’ perspectives on how they authentically prepare to teach are explored, to establish how academic development practices can better support them. Science lecturers in higher education do not always feel comfortable engaging with pedagogical training initiatives, often finding the ideas presented confusing, non-transferable and of little benefit to them. Models of pedagogical training suit institutional requirements and the generic principles of teaching in higher education. However, it is more useful to establish science lecturers’ authentic preparation techniques and build academic practice models around these. At a research-intensive higher education institution (HEI) in the UK, a total of 64 science lecturers completed a 28-item survey about the authentic values, beliefs, and the practices that inform and support their preparation as teachers. The collated survey responses were analysed through a statistical package for social sciences (SPSS), and a linear regression model was produced for self-reported confidence (used as a proxy for preparedness). Initial results pointed to the importance of enjoyment, being innovative and experimental, and demonstrating a good grasp of content for developing confidence. Receiving advice from education-based experts was a negative contributor to the confidence model as was pedagogical training unless it was part of a wider offering. However informal, supportive, peer-to-peer dialogue is deemed beneficial, highlighting the significant role communities of practice play in authentic preparation.

Highlights

Introduction and BackgroundIn this paper, the authentic mechanisms through which science lecturers develop their practice as teachers are explored through a preliminary investigation
In answering the central research question, it is important to consider initial preferences lecturers have for developing their taught practice and how they consider their position as teachers, the relationships between these aspects of teaching which serves as a helpful guide to academic developers who need to make connections between support mechanisms and how authentic practice is developed
It has been possible to develop some preliminary models based on survey data looking at the authenticity of preparation of science lecturers at a researchintensive higher education institution (HEI) in the UK

Summary

Introduction

Introduction and BackgroundIn this paper, the authentic mechanisms through which science lecturers develop their practice as teachers are explored through a preliminary investigation. Once a belief system has been set, it is very difficult to change it (Friedrichsen and Dana 2005) and usually there is no appetite to do so. By understanding someone’s orientation, we are naturally limited to understanding their teaching behaviour, yet their values, beliefs and response to their contextual surroundings remain a mystery. These contextual barriers matter, for example large class sizes can hinder meaningful pedagogical change resulting in half-hearted efforts to engage with professional development activities (Hamilton 2018). In the UK especially, certain drivers have affected change, for example the introduction and subsequent increase of tuition fees, suggesting an increasing push towards getting students through and ensuring they are employable, which means that irrespective of their beliefs and best intentions, lecturers are often not encouraged to make concerted attempts to develop their teaching practices by their own students who ‘just want to pass so I can get a job’ resulting in the teaching of core topics becoming a means to an end (Guilbault 2018)

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Conclusion