The Path to Quality Teaching in Higher Education
THE PATH TO QUALITY TEACHING IN HIGHER EDUCATION
By Fabrice Henard and Soleine Leprince-Ringuet
About the authors Fabrice Henard is an analyst at the OECD, for the programme Institutional Management for Higher Education (IMHE).
Soleine Leprince-Ringuet is a graduate student currently pursuing a double Masters degree from the London School of Economics and Political Science and from Sciences Po Paris. She was an intern at the OECD from October 2007 to June 2008.
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ABSTRACT
1. This review of literature on Quality Teaching aims to provide a theoretical background to the OECD-IMHE project on the quality of teaching in higher education. It highlights the main debates on the topic to date, hoping to present the different perspectives that exist on the topic of quality in teaching. The review of the literature is organized in three main parts as to address three major questions: 1) “What is Quality Teaching and why is it important in higher education?” 2) “How can teaching concretely be enhanced?” 3) “How can one make sure Quality Teaching initiatives are effective?” 2. Quality teaching has become an issue of importance as the landscape of higher education has been facing continuous changes: increased international competition, increasing social and geographical diversity of the student body, increasing demands of value for money, introduction of information technologies, etc. 3. But quality teaching lacks a clear definition, because quality can be regarded as an outcome or a property, or even a process, and because conceptions of teaching quality happen to be stakeholder relative. The impact of research, of the “scholarship of teaching” and of learning communities on teaching quality is discussed here. 4. Quality teaching initiatives are very diverse both in nature and in function. The role of the professors, of the department, of the central university and of the state is analyzed, as well as the goals and the scope of these initiatives. 5. Choosing
By Fabrice Henard and Soleine Leprince-Ringuet
About the authors Fabrice Henard is an analyst at the OECD, for the programme Institutional Management for Higher Education (IMHE).
Soleine Leprince-Ringuet is a graduate student currently pursuing a double Masters degree from the London School of Economics and Political Science and from Sciences Po Paris. She was an intern at the OECD from October 2007 to June 2008.
1
ABSTRACT
1. This review of literature on Quality Teaching aims to provide a theoretical background to the OECD-IMHE project on the quality of teaching in higher education. It highlights the main debates on the topic to date, hoping to present the different perspectives that exist on the topic of quality in teaching. The review of the literature is organized in three main parts as to address three major questions: 1) “What is Quality Teaching and why is it important in higher education?” 2) “How can teaching concretely be enhanced?” 3) “How can one make sure Quality Teaching initiatives are effective?” 2. Quality teaching has become an issue of importance as the landscape of higher education has been facing continuous changes: increased international competition, increasing social and geographical diversity of the student body, increasing demands of value for money, introduction of information technologies, etc. 3. But quality teaching lacks a clear definition, because quality can be regarded as an outcome or a property, or even a process, and because conceptions of teaching quality happen to be stakeholder relative. The impact of research, of the “scholarship of teaching” and of learning communities on teaching quality is discussed here. 4. Quality teaching initiatives are very diverse both in nature and in function. The role of the professors, of the department, of the central university and of the state is analyzed, as well as the goals and the scope of these initiatives. 5. Choosing