Conditions and criteria for assessing and rewarding teaching excellence

Gruber, MJG (Michael)
Department of Psychology, Umeå University, 92266, Umeå

 

Submission type

Oral only

Scheduled

Bouillonzaal, 27-09-2019, 09:00 - 10:30

Keywords

Teacher accreditation programs; professional development; teaching conditions; rewarding teachers; assessment criteria of teaching skills

Summary

An increasing number of universities reward teaching excellence as a means for professional development of teachers. Since specific criteria must be met in order to be rewarded, it is arguably important that teachers experience the corresponding teaching conditions needed to meet these criteria at their departments. This study was conducted at a Swedish university and investigates teachers’ perceptions of the teaching conditions at their home department as defined by the four + three assessment criteria that have to be met for a teaching reward as either Merited or Excellent teacher. The seven criteria were operationalized into a 25-item survey that proved to have a very high item reliability. Thirty-six females and 28 males who had been rewarded either Merited or Excellent teacher participated. Conditions needed for becoming an Excellent teacher were assessed as less well satisfied compared to conditions related to becoming a Merited teacher and significantly so by women. Overall, teaching conditions were assessed as less well satisfied by women. Although large differences existed between faculties regarding the relative number of rewarded teachers at each faculty there were no obvious differences in teaching conditions. Ways to improve teaching conditions to further professional development of teachers will be discussed.

Auteurs