Pedagogical Development programmes in Higher Education. What works for whom and under which circumstances?

Project introduction and background information

Higher Education is changing rapidly, therefore efforts have been targeted towards raising the esteem of teaching. Higher Education institutes have developed pedagogical training (programmes) and put more pressure on teachers to follow pedagogical training or pedagogical development programmes (PDP). This requires much financial and time investment for both teachers and universities. However, previous research has focused mostly on self-perceived effects of teachers, sometimes supplemented with the perspective of students, without explaining how this was related to the characteristics of the pedagogical trainings.

Objective and expected outcomes

In this proposed PhD research we aim to gain more insight into the relationship between characteristics of Pedagogical Development Programmes (PDP) and the effects on teachers’ knowledge, skills and attitudes, their behaviour and changes in the classroom, and investigate under which circumstances and by which mechanisms these effects occur. In the proposed study, the Dutch University Teaching Qualification (UTQ) programme will serve as exemplary case.

Results and learnings

The first study was a systematic review, it explored what is known about the relationships between characteristics of pedagogical development programmes (PDP) in higher education, context characteristics within which PDPs take place, and teacher development outcomes. Although more research is needed, this review resulted in an overview of indicated relationship between characteristics of PDPs and teacher development outcomes. See the article A systematic review to explore how characteristics of pedagogical development programmes in higher education are related to teacher development outcomes for more details.

In a next study ten teachers who are participating in the Wageningen UTQ programme were followed during participation in the programme. In this multiple case study we aim to gain insight how university teachers develop during a longitudinal pedagogical development programme, thereby focussing on the individual development of teachers, the differences among teachers and which PDP-characteristics do influence the development of teachers. In this study a longitudinal research design was used that measured various developmental outcomes at different points in time. We used a variety of sources to measure what teachers have learned, like drawings, observation, interviews and document analysis. The Interconnected Model of Change (Clarke & Hollingsworth, 2002) will be used to typify the development of the teachers. 

In the last study, we aimed to gain insight into teachers’ learning experiences within the University Teaching Qualification (UTQ). More specific, what type of collaboration activities within the UTQ activities contributed  to perceived teacher and student learning?  We identified three types of collaboration (from independent to interdependent): information exchange, discussion and co-creation; and three types of teacher learning: attitudes, knowledge and teacher behaviour. Moreover, we asked participants if they perceived changes among their students. Results showed that
- information exchange indirectly contributed to student learning through changes in teachers’ attitudes and teaching behaviours. This highlights the importance of structured exchange and sharing moments in PDPs.
- Co-creation had a direct impact on student learning—a surprising finding that calls for further exploration. 
- Discussion and co-creation did not show an indirect effect on student learning, prompting a critical look at how we design collaboration in PDPs.
 These findings confirm that collaboration in a PDP matters, teachers develop their attitudes, knowledge, and teaching behaviour. Contrary to our expectations, information exchange showed more positive development than the other collaboration activities. Notably, teachers’ knowledge development does not relate to changes in student learning. PDPs that primarily focus on providing teachers with knowledge are likely to have little or no impact on student learning. What does this mean for practice? PDPs could be more intentional designed in fostering sharing and exchange of experiences, knowledge, feedback and tips among participants. This can help teachers develop their attitudes and teaching behaviour, ultimately benefiting student learning. Read the full article here.