teaching academic staff to teach: the roles of institutions and disciplines

Teaching Academic Staff to Teach: The Roles of

Institutions and Disciplines

Paul Yates

Centre for Professional Staff Development, Keele University, Keele, Staffordshire

ST5 5BG, United Kingdom

E-mail:p.c.yates@keele.ac.uk

Relationship Between Good Teaching and Good Research

The Unrelated Personality Model

Researchers• Ambitious• Enduring• Seeking definiteness• Dominant• Showing leadership• Aggressive• Independent• Not meek• Nonsupportive

Teachers• Liberal• Sociable• Showing leadership• Extroverted• Low in anxiety• Objective• Supportive• Nonauthoritarian• Not defensive• Intelligent• Aesthetically sensitive

“The likelihood that research productivity actually benefits teaching is extremely small . The two, for all practical purposes, are essentially unrelated. Productivity in research and scholarship does not seem to detract from being an effective researcher.”

“A zero relationship is typically found in the natural sciences. The correlation between teaching and research is greater than zero in social science departments.”

J Hattie and H W Marsh, “The Relationship Between Research and Teaching: A Meta-Analysis”, Review of Educational Research 66, 507-542, 1996.

Discipline Specific versus Generic Training

Number ofdisciplines

Size ofgroup

Keele University TLHEP

ECTN NAUCTS

Faculty based courses

HEA Physical Sciences

The Keele TLHEPA typical generic course

Core sessions• Introductory days• Understanding student

learning• Promoting student

centred learning• Assessment• Evaluation• Catering for diversity• Reflective writing and

completing a portfolio

Optional sessions

• Group teaching techniques• Lecturing• Session planning• Marking and feedback• Dealing with plagiarism• Helping your students

make the best use of ICT• Problem based learning• Candidate led workshops

The Keele TLHEPA typical generic course

• 30 particpants

• 4 principal tutors

• Peer observation

• Mentor reports

• Assessed by means of a reflective portfolio

Newly Appointed University Chemistry Teaching Staff

Working Group“In the 2003/2004 funding period, the Newly Appointed University Teaching Staff group will plan the organisation and content of a Summer School to provide teacher training, to provide a forum for the exchange of ideas and good practices, and provide European networking opportunities for new staff. This summer school will take place in June 2005 and will be one of the outputs of 2004/2005. The group will also report on current practices in teacher training and provide an analysis of how new staff develop expertise in teaching and, at the same time, develop research careers.”

Results of Survey

• 10 responses (CZ, NL, ES, UK, A, F, LV, FI, I)

• Little formal training provided for academic staff

• Formal and compulsory training more likely for teaching PG and postdocs

• Range of delivery of training

• Problems with compulsory training

The Summer Schools

2005 and 2007

Recruitment

• Advertise electronically within Network

• Pay participant costs

• Choose an attractive venue

• Develop an exciting programme

Application Procedure

Provide a statement of not more than 1000 words critically analysing your experience of teaching chemistry at university level so far.

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

A

BG

CZ D

ES F

FIN GB

GR H I

IRL

LT M NL P

PL

SK

2005

2007

Country of Origin of Delegates Attending Summer Schools in

2005 and 2007

Programme

• Interactive workshops

• Shorter information giving sessions

• Evening discussions

Interactive Workshops

• Peer Group Work

• Practical Classes

• Presentation Skills

• Assessment

• Evaluation

• Context and Problem Based Learning

• Supervision

Information Giving Sessions

• European Developments in Chemical Education

• Portfolios for Students and Staff

• European funding

• Widening participation

• Online resources

Evening Discussions

• The European Image of Chemistry

• The Many Roles of the Teacher

Changes Made Between 2005 and 2007

• Allocate international groups which change every day

• Provide instant feedback mechanism for non-native English speakers

• More emphasis on workshop sessions

• More time for networking

• New session on pedagogy

Before and AfterYahoo Groups Electronic Discussion Board

Writing the Proceedings

• Pairs of delegates allocated to report for each session

• International collaboration after summer school

• Published on ECTN website

Issues to be Resolved

• Languages

• East and west European cultural differences

• Application procedure

• Accreditation

The Future – Other Activities

• Obtain independent funding for future summer schools

• Internationalisation

• Relationship to other disciplines

Conclusions

• Perceived need for training varies

• Institutional generic training can be supplemented by discipline specific regional training

• Advantages of residential summer school model