Teaching Academic Staff to Teach: The Roles of Institutions and Disciplines

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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-mailp.c.yates_at_keele.ac.uk

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Relationship Between Good Teaching and Good
Research

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The Unrelated Personality Model

• Researchers

• Teachers

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

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

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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.
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Discipline Specific versus Generic Training

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Number of disciplines
Keele University TLHEP
Faculty based courses
HEA Physical Sciences
ECTN NAUCTS
Size of group
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The Keele TLHEPA typical generic course

• Core sessions

• Optional sessions

• Introductory days
• Understanding student learning
• Promoting student centred learning
• Assessment
• Evaluation
• Catering for diversity
• Reflective writing and completing a portfolio

• 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

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The Keele TLHEPA typical generic course

• 30 particpants
• 4 principal tutors
• Peer observation
• Mentor reports
• Assessed by means of a reflective portfolio

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Newly Appointed University Chemistry Teaching
StaffWorking 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.

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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

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The Summer Schools
2005 and 2007
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Recruitment

• Advertise electronically within Network
• Pay participant costs
• Choose an attractive venue
• Develop an exciting programme

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Application Procedure

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

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Country of Origin of Delegates Attending Summer
Schools in 2005 and 2007
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Programme

• Interactive workshops
• Shorter information giving sessions
• Evening discussions

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Interactive Workshops

• Peer Group Work
• Practical Classes
• Presentation Skills
• Assessment
• Evaluation
• Context and Problem Based Learning
• Supervision

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Information Giving Sessions

• European Developments in Chemical Education
• Portfolios for Students and Staff
• European funding
• Widening participation
• Online resources

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Evening Discussions

• The European Image of Chemistry
• The Many Roles of the Teacher

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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

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Before and After
Yahoo Groups Electronic Discussion Board
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Writing the Proceedings

• Pairs of delegates allocated to report for each
  session
• International collaboration after summer school
• Published on ECTN website

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Issues to be Resolved

• Languages
• East and west European cultural differences
• Application procedure
• Accreditation

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The Future Other Activities

• Obtain independent funding for future summer
  schools
• Internationalisation
• Relationship to other disciplines

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Conclusions

• Perceived need for training varies
• Institutional generic training can be
  supplemented by discipline specific regional
  training
• Advantages of residential summer school model