Abstract
This article focuses upon the quality and scholarship of teaching as it pertains to educational and faculty development. We outline what more than 200 faculty members at one institution have done over a 3-year period to make significant and sustained improvements in their teaching, surprisingly with minimal effort. The top three factors leading to improvement were active/practical learning, teacher/student interactions, and clear expectations/learning outcomes. We provide practical applications for change and suggestions for future research.
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Whitney Ransom McGowan
is a Ph.D. candidate at Brigham Young University (BYU), and she received an M.S. degree in Instructional Psychology & Technology from BYU. She is currently a research assistant for the Assistant to the Academic Vice President at BYU and also performs research at the Center for Teaching & Learning. She can be contacted at whitney.ransom@gmail.com.
Charles R. Graham
is an Associate Professor of Instructional Psychology and Technology at Brigham Young University with a focus on technology-mediated teaching and learning. Graham received his Ph.D. in Instructional Systems Technology from Indiana University. He received his M.S. degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Illinois and his B.S. degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering, from BYU. He is particularly interested in studying the design and evaluation of blended learning environments. He can be contacted at charles_graham@byu.edu.
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McGowan, W.R., Graham, C.R. Factors Contributing to Improved Teaching Performance. Innov High Educ 34, 161–171 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10755-009-9103-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10755-009-9103-6