Finding time for professional development: A study of academic perceptions
Sue Johnston
Centre for the Enhancement of Learning, Teaching and Scholarship
University of Canberra
A recent survey of staff at the University of Canberra indicated time constraints were the main reason for non-participation in the professional development programs offered by the Centre for the Enhancement of Learning, Teaching and Scholarship. This paper reports on a follow-up study in which in-depth interviews of a number of academic staff probed reasons for participation or non-participation in professional development activities. The study attempted to understand how academics prioritise their time and why some academics find the time for professional development while others claim they have insufficient time.
Introduction
The way in which university academics perceive their teaching and their development as teachers has been the topic of a range of research studies. The tension between the research and teaching components of the academic role has been one focus (Neumann 1992; Ramsden & Moses 1992), while associated with this has been a focus on the relative status of teaching within academia (Newell & Spear 1983). One of the difficulties faced by those who promote teaching and its development within universities is that academics do not necessarily see themselves as professional teachers and therefore the role of professional development related to teaching is not clear for academics (Cannon 1983). Moses (1993) highlights the unprofessional nature of academia caused by the lack of formal teaching qualifications held by academics. Newell and Spear (1983) make the point that, while poor teaching performance may be a hindrance to an academic career, excellent teaching and efforts to improve teaching are not necessarily rewarded with career progression.
Within universities, those with responsibility for teaching development must face the challenge of ensuring the availability of appropriate professional development programs to enhance teaching and also ensuring that academics participate in such programs. Although professional development programs related to teaching take many forms (including individual consultations, study leave and peer observations), workshops, courses and seminars are almost universally provided activities (Wright and O'Neill 1994). For those universities in which workshops, courses and seminars are offered as professional development related to teaching, the question to be addressed is how to ensure or encourage participation in these activities by the full spectrum of university teachers. This paper reports a study of academic perceptions of such professional development activities and particularly probes why and how some academics seem to find the time to participate in professional development related to their teaching, while others do not.
At the end of 1995, a questionnaire was sent to all academic staff at the University of Canberra to gather their feedback about the support provided by the Centre for the Enhancement of Learning, Teaching and Scholarship (CELTS), an academic development centre which was established at the University in 1994. The most overwhelming response by staff generally to the activities provided by CELTS was the difficulty of finding time to attend them. "A very valuable range of services - if only I had more time to take advantage of more of them!" "There is so much on offer from CELTS, but other pressures, particularly heavy teaching loads, have more immediacy and time can't always be found for CELTS activities." "All good stuff, all I need is the time." "The spirit is willing, the time is not available."
The study reported below was undertaken to analyse this time factor further. The study involved in-depth interviews with selected academic staff to ascertain their perceptions about how and why they found the time to participate in professional development activities related to their teaching. In total, fifteen academics were interviewed. Ten of those interviewed had participated in programs of professional development offered by CELTS at a more significant level than occasional attendance at single workshops. These programs ranged from a series of ten introductory seminars on teaching conducted in 1995, to two day residential workshops on topics such as postgraduate supervision or teaching students from different cultural backgrounds to enrolment in the year long Graduate Certificate in Higher Education. Five of those interviewed had not attended more than one or two single session seminars conducted by CELTS. They were chosen because they were similar in terms of disciplines, levels of appointment and duration of appointment to those who were in the "participating group". The interviews were open-ended, structured around a series of questions with subsequent probing as to why the people had or had not become involved in professional development activities related to teaching, how they managed their time, what factors influenced their decision to participate or not, what support they had received from their faculty and from the university and if they perceived any barriers to involvement in professional development related to their teaching. Each participant was interviewed for 30 to 50 minutes duration. Interviews were audio-taped and transcribed so that themes and issues could be identified.
The lecturers interviewed for this study were typical of those who were involved most frequently in general teaching seminars and workshops offered by CELTS. With the exception of one who was recently promoted to Senior Lecturer, they were all at the Lecturer or Associate Lecturer level, with durations of appointment at the University of Canberra ranging from one and a half to eight years. None was heavily involved in University level committees or responsibilities, although most had administrative responsibilities at the course or program level. They represented four of the six faculties at the University, coming from disciplines such as law, accounting, graphic design, industrial design, biomedical science and office management. Five males and ten females were interviewed. In terms of the overall academic staff of the university they were among the more junior and newer members of staff, the type who were generally over-represented at the range of activities provided by CELTS.
Why participate in professional development activities related to teaching?
The responses of the ten staff interviewed for their high level of participation in professional development activities suggested that they saw teaching development as a necessary and important part of their professional lives, that they perceived a high level of support for such activities particularly within their own schools, and that they made the time to participate in these professional development activities because of their perceived importance.
Views about teaching
Perhaps most influential for all of those interviewed from this group was the way in which they viewed their teaching. While nearly all commented that they enjoyed teaching, all saw it as a very important, if not the most important, part of their academic work. Furthermore, while they were all committed to their teaching, they also had firm beliefs that teaching was something which could always be improved.
- I think I can always do better.
- I do it [professional development] because I want to be a better teacher.
- There's got to be a better way to do it [teaching].
In contrast with a commonly held view that professional development is somehow remedial and caters for those who need to improve, these academics already held a level of confidence about their teaching and thought that professional development was merely a way to become better at something they already did well. Rather than feeling in any way embarrassed by their regular attendance at professional development activities, they tended to see themselves as superior or more professional than those who did not undertake professional development. While two held teaching qualifications and had experience teaching at the school level, others were conscious that they did not have formal teaching qualifications and saw the professional development offered by CELTS as a way to acquire knowledge in a more formal way about something they had picked up on the job. In spite of feeling the need to acquire such formal knowledge, they did not approach their professional development from a deficit point of view.
It's a matter of finding time because it's important
Given the high commitment to teaching and the attitude that teaching can always be improved, it was not surprising that those interviewed conveyed the message that it was a matter of making time available for professional development because it was an important aspect of their teaching role.
- I put other things aside to make the time. I'll generate the time I need to do the things that to me are a priority.
- I'll try to juggle the time so I can fit the things in that I want to do.
For some, the importance of professional development was related to a professional obligation. They recognised teaching as an important part of their role and therefore placed a priority on furthering their development as teachers.
- I think we as academics should recognise teaching as a main area of interest and we should further our interest and our knowledge in terms of teaching and learning.
- Because it [teaching] is such an important part of the profession, I think I have to do everything possible to improve my teaching capacities. I believe that the students have a right to a good education and that's part of the package we deliver here. We have to be reasonably good teachers.
Others valued the opportunities provided by the university for professional development and saw it as a time that they could devote to doing something for themselves, a time that they enjoyed and from which they thought that they were benefiting.
- It's something being done for us.
- It's something you do for yourself as well as for your teaching.
Support
All of those interviewed because of their high level of participation in professional development activities perceived that they were supported in such activities by the senior academics within their school or faculty. For some, this support was very obvious with Dean or Head of School actively encouraging their involvement with CELTS and any associated efforts to develop their teaching. In one faculty with a reputation for having a high research profile, there was less perception of outward encouragement, but no perception of hostility or discouragement. All participants felt part of a culture of academic staff wanting to do their best in their teaching.
- In our faculty, it's seen as quite a priority to be involved with CELTS.
- In the faculty, there is decided encouragement by the Dean.
- For the first time in my adult life, I feel as though I'm being encouraged to be professional.
Support at the university level was less clearly defined. Several commented that the establishment of CELTS and a new Graduate Certificate in Higher Education had been indicators that teaching and professional development related to teaching were being supported within the university.
- CELTS was set up to perform that particular role - to involve academic staff of the university in thinking about teaching, doing things that will improve teaching. So obviously, this shows the university's support for that part of academic life or profession.
They were less certain about the university support for teaching through the rewards of promotion. Several were not aware of the promotion guidelines and procedures, admitting that they would find out more about these when the time came for them to apply for promotion.
- It's a black hole for me. I have no idea what happens in promotions.
Others voiced a concern that, even though teaching was one of the criteria for promotion, they perceived that the reality did not always match the stated policy.
- I think you are encouraged [with respect to teaching] although sometimes I'm not sure how much of it is lip service. I think it's an improvement that the promotion criteria include [teaching]. How much it counts in the final analysis, I'm not sure.
Professional development as reactive
The picture presented above suggests a group of committed university teachers keen to develop their teaching through participation in activities that they saw would benefit them. However, those interviewed did not suggest that professional development was something that they actively sought or planned into their academic lives in a proactive way. Instead, their comments suggested that professional development was something which they selected in a reactive way from the suite of offerings available to them, when the timing was such that they could take advantage of the offering.
- I read the newsletters and things that come out. I'll read them to see what's coming up. If there is something of interest and I thought that it would be applicable to me and I would use it, then I would make an effort to come.
Most described being presented with workshops, programs or courses, weighing up whether what was on offer was relevant to their teaching interests, determining if the timing was suitable and then making a commitment to attend that activity. Relevance to interests was determined by the immediate, practical value and applicability of the activity to their own teaching.
It was significant that not one of those interviewed appeared to seek, in an active way, specific types of professional development that they deemed necessary for their development as university teachers or as academics more generally. That is, professional development did not appear to be a planned part of their academic lives either for personal or professional gain. Involvement in professional development was reactive to offerings available rather than a proactive and conscious plan.
- If I had to think what I would like, I wouldn't know.
- Quite often, I don't know what I'm going to get out of it when I start it.
The cyclic nature of academic work
This is not to suggest that planning out time in a proactive way was not the norm for these academics. All spoke of quite definite ways of managing their time to fit in what was important. The plans revolved around formal teaching commitments which were very demanding during the teaching weeks of the semester and formed immutable constraints around which they worked. Where possible, classes were often condensed into two or three days of the week which were devoted entirely to teaching. This left at least two days for other activities which usually comprised research or some professional activity related to their discipline. Such research and professional activity was seen to be important and thus efforts were made to allocate formal blocks of time to it.
- I try to get my teaching commitment to a maximum of three days [per week]. That gives me a couple of full days that are free. That allows me more freedom to make commitments to other things.
All spoke of the very deliberate efforts required to organise their time in this way and leave some time for research or other professional activities. During the teaching weeks of semester, such boundaries were not easily maintained and some determination was needed.
- I tend to let teaching take over. That's part of the reason why I try to get those two days, to try to cut myself off from teaching. But in the end I find it [teaching] tends to take over.
Unlike research and professional activities related to the discipline, professional development related to teaching did not have a formal block of time devoted to it but was undertaken as part of a reallocation of this time free of formal teaching commitments. If the professional development activities on offer fell into these teaching-free periods and if they were seen to be relevant to the individual interest of the academic, some of this "free" time was allotted to them.
Barriers to involvement in professional development activities related to teaching
The academics interviewed because of their low level of involvement in professional development activities related to teaching did not offer vastly different responses from those outlined above. They indicated that teaching was important and that they perceived teaching as something which always could be done better. Furthermore, they admitted that professional development related to teaching was a good idea and something from which they thought they would probably benefit. The difference appeared to be manifest in the efforts made to juggle commitments so that time was made available for such activities. It was a case of everything else being important and of time pressures being such that professional development related to teaching missed out. This group was also more ambivalent about the pressures they perceived from their senior colleagues to become involved in teaching-related activities. That is, they perceived fewer encouragements and rewards to direct their priorities towards professional development related to their teaching even though, in some cases, they came from the same areas of the university as those in the high participating group.
Conclusions
Time will always be a barrier to participation in professional development activities. In academia, where roles are complex and demanding, the place of professional development related to teaching is not clear even for those who frequently participate in such activities. The study described above suggests that academics who participate frequently in professional development related to their teaching see teaching and its development as a high priority in their professional lives. This does not mean that they relegate research or its equivalent to a low status. Rather, they appear to have organised their work responsibilities so that time is freed up for research or professional activities related to their discipline. Conscious efforts are made to confine teaching commitments within semester teaching periods to leave at least one or two days a week for their other responsibilities. When professional development activities related to teaching are offered in these times and if they meet certain criteria of interest and immediate applicability, time will be made available to participate in these activities. Even those who participate frequently in professional development activities related to teaching do not take a proactive approach to these activities by planning out a program of professional development to meet their needs. Instead, they react to the suite of offerings available.
References
Cannon, R. (1983). The professional development of Australian university teachers: An act of faith? Higher Education, 12, 19-33.
Moses, I. (1993). The development of knowledge and skills of academic staff. Higher Education Management, 5 (2), 173-190.
Neumann, R. (1992). Perceptions of the teaching-research nexus. Higher Education, 23, 159-171.
Newell, L. & Spear, K. (1983) New dimensions for academic careers: Rediscovering intrinsic satisfactions. Liberal Education, 69(2), 109-116.
Ramsden, P. & Moses, I. (1992). Associations between research and teaching in Australian higher education. Higher Education, 23, 273-295.
Wright, W. & O'Neill, M. (1994). Perspectives on improving teaching in Canadian universities. The Canadian Journal of Higher Education, 24 (3), 26-57.
Author: Sue Johnston, Centre for the Enhancement of Learning, Teaching and Scholarship, University of Canberra, Australia. Fax: 06 201 5172 Email: sej@libserver.canberra.edu.au
Please cite as: Johnston, S. (1996). Finding time for professional development: A study of academic perceptions. Different Approaches: Theory and Practice in Higher Education. Proceedings HERDSA Conference 1996. Perth, Western Australia, 8-12 July.
http://www.herdsa.org.au/confs/1996/johnstons.html |
[ HERDSA ]
[ Proceedings Contents ]
This URL: http://www.herdsa.org.au/confs/1996/johnstons.html
Created 4 May 2002. Last revision: 24 May 2002.
© Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia Inc
