Teaching Beliefs and Instructional Practices of Award-winning Faculty at Two Agricultural Universities
Open Access
- Author:
- Rice, Laura Lea
- Graduate Program:
- Agricultural and Extension Education
- Degree:
- Doctor of Philosophy
- Document Type:
- Dissertation
- Date of Defense:
- May 08, 2015
- Committee Members:
- Daniel Foster Jr., Dissertation Advisor/Co-Advisor
Edgar Paul Yoder, Committee Chair/Co-Chair
John Ewing, Committee Member
Kathy Lou Jackson, Special Member - Keywords:
- teaching beliefs
pedagogical beliefs
instructional practices
post-secondary agriculture education - Abstract:
- Recent research has raised doubts about the quality of undergraduate teaching in the United States. Quality post-secondary education becomes more and more critical to both national competitiveness and the development of a robust agricultural economy. There is a continual need for productive research on effective teaching. To ensure undergraduate students are receiving the quality of education needed to be competitive in our global society, colleges of agricultural sciences must constantly advance their education and scholarship. The purpose of the research study was to investigate links between post-secondary agricultural sciences faculty espoused teaching theories and their teaching practice. The research study allowed for researchers to better understand how university academics learn to teach to improve post-secondary agriculture education. The research study compared two leading agricultural science post-secondary institutions on the approaches to teaching of identified excellent teachers. The study employed a multiple case–study approach utilizing a basic qualitative design to frame their one-on-one structured interview research methods. The results were discovered through in-depth analysis for rich description expressing the faculty member’s beliefs they hold about their teaching. Findings revealed lecture as the dominant teaching method currently in use by faculty at one university, and lecture with integrated active learning techniques was the dominant teaching method at the other university. Data revealed current teaching strategies were influenced by prior educational experiences; however, there was very little exposure to instruction in teaching methods. Although faculty at both institutions had received very little training in teaching, all felt confident in their ability to teach. Findings revealed the teaching beliefs and philosophies of interviewed faculty were well established; however, faculty at one university were aware the practices used in the classroom did not necessarily align. The teaching practices of the other faculty aligned with their teaching beliefs and stated philosophies. Faculty interviewed agreed class size, time, and budgetary constraints affect the teaching method employed as different constraints that limit employing some of their philosophical beliefs in the classroom. More empirical studies are needed for researchers to build better understanding about which belief affects which action, and subsequently how to address or change teachers’ beliefs. Future research should refer to student ratings of teaching effectiveness to compare longitudinally.