How do we prepare to teach? exploring science lecturers’ authentic approaches to teaching in higher education
File(s)
Published version
Author(s)
Chadha, Deesha
Type
Journal Article
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.
Date Issued
2020-11-04
Date Acceptance
2020-10-28
Citation
Research in Science Education, 2020, 52, pp.635-653
ISSN
0157-244X
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Start Page
635
End Page
653
Journal / Book Title
Research in Science Education
Volume
52
Copyright Statement
© 2020 The Author(s). This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which
permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give
appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and
indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article's
Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included
in the article's Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or
exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy
of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.
permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give
appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and
indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article's
Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included
in the article's Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or
exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy
of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.
License URL
Identifier
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs11165-020-09972-4
Subjects
1302 Curriculum and Pedagogy
1303 Specialist Studies in Education
Education
Publication Status
Published
Date Publish Online
2020-11-04