How does a tutor training and professional development program influence teaching practice as experienced by tutors?

Wednesday 3 July: Conference day one, 3:00pm – 3:30pm parallel session

Venue

Room 11 – 303-B11 Sem

Presenters

Dr Valeria Stella Cotronei-Baird
The University of Melbourne, Australia
valeriec@unimelb.edu.au

Austin Chia
The University of Melbourne, Australia 

Professor Angela Paladino
The University of Melbourne, Australia

Alexandra Johnston
The University of Melbourne, Australia

Background

Tutors are a core component of the university casual teaching workforce. Tutors work directly with students in small tutorial groups. They are mostly involved in instructional delivery and facilitation (Dotger, 2011; Hall & Sutherland, 2013; Muzaka, 2009) and largely responsible for a significant component of assessment marking and feedback (Byers & Tani, 2014). Recognising the important contribution of tutors, many Australian universities today are investing in and delivering professional development programs (Byers & Tani, 2014; Fredericks & Bosanqueet, 2017; Hamilton, Fox, & McEwan, 2013; Harvey, 2013, 2017; Mathews, Duck, & Bartle, 2017). The need for such programs is crucial because tutors are often hired without any formal credentials or experience in teaching (Hardré & Chen, 2006). However, there have only been few studies that have evaluated the outcomes of programs directed specifically at tutors (Hitch, Mahoney, & Macfarlane, 2017; Percy, Scoufis, Parry, Goody, & Hicks, 2008; Young & Bippus, 2008).

The purpose of the presentation is to present the preliminary findings of a study that evaluated how a professional development program in a faculty of a large Australian university influenced tutors’ perceptions of the tutor role. Data was collected using open-ended interviews that captured tutors’ perceptions of tutoring before and after participation in the program. The program focuses on teaching principles, practice, peer mentoring and peer observation. he preliminary findings indicate that tutors hold three different conceptions of the tutor role: a transmitter, a facilitator and a reflexive practitioner. Prior to the program, 61% of tutors identified themselves as a transmitter, 34% a facilitator and 3.8% a reflexive practitioner The post-interview data indicates that tutors’ perceptions shifted: 3.8% transmitter, 65% facilitator and 30% reflexive practitioner. A number of factors influence self-perceptions of the role, many of which traverse the professional development program highlighting the significant influence of a ‘practice network’[1]

References

Andrews, S., Bare, L., Bentley, P., Goedegebuure, L., Pugsley, C., & Rance, B. (2016). Contingent Academic Employment in Australian Universities. Retrieved from http://www.lhmartininstitute.edu.au/documents/publications/2016-contingentacademic-employment-in-australian-universities-updatedapr16.pdf
Birrell, B., & Edwards, D. (2009). The Bradley Review and access to higher education in Australia. Australian University Review, 51(1), 4-13.
Bradley, D., Noonan, P., Nugent, H., & Scales, B. (2008). Review of Australian higher education: Final Report. Retrieved from Canberra: http://www.voced.edu.au/content/ngv%3A32134
Byers, P., & Tani, M. (2014). Engaging or training session staff: Evidence from an Australian case of enhanced engagement and motivation in teaching delivery. Australian Universities’ Review, 56(1), 13-21.
Coaldrake, P., & Stedman, L. (2013). Raising the stakes: Gambling with the future of universities. Queensland: Australia: University of Queensland Press.
Dotger, S. (2011). Exploring and developing graduate teaching assistants’ pedagogies via lesson study. Teaching in Higher Education, 16(2), 157-169.
Fredericks, V., & Bosanqueet, A. (2017). An essential right’: Reflections on evaluating a professional development program for tutors. International Journal of Academic Development, 22(1), 84-89.
Hall, M., & Sutherland, K. A. (2013). Students who teach: Developing scholarly tutors. In F. Beaton & A. Gilbert (Eds.), Effective part-time teachers in contemporary universities: New approaches to professional development. Oxon: Routledge.
Hamilton, J., Fox, M., & McEwan, M. (2013). Sessional academic success: A distributed framework for academic support and development. Journal of University Teaching & Learning Practice, 10(3), 1-16.
Harvey, M. (2013). Setting the standards for sessional staff: Quality learning and teaching. Journal of University Teaching & Learning Practice, 10(3), 1=16.
Harvey, M. (2017). Quality learning and teaching with sessional staff: Systematising good practice for academic development. International Journal for Academic Development, 22(1), 1-6.
Hitch, D., Mahoney, P., & Macfarlane, S. (2017). Professional development for sessional staff in higher education: A review of current evidence.   . Retrieved from http://www.tandfonline.com.ezp.lib.unimelb.edu.au/doi/full/10.1080/07294360.2017.1360844
Marginson, S., & Considine, M. (2000). The Enterprise University: Power, governance and reinvention in Australia. UK: Cambridge University Press.
Mathews, K., E, Duck, J., M, & Bartle, E. (2017). Sustaining institution-wide induction for sessional staff in a research-intensive university: The strength of shared ownership. International Journal for Academic Development, 22(1), 43-55.
Muzaka, V. (2009). The niche of Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTAs): Perceptions and reflections. Teaching in Higher Education, 14(1), 1-12.
Percy, A., Scoufis, M., Parry, S., Goody, A., & Hicks, M. (2008). The RED Report, Recognition – Enhancement Development: The contribution of sessional teachers to higher education. Retrieved from Sydney:
Young, S., L, & Bippus, A., M. (2008). Assessment of graduate teaching assistant (GTA) training: A case study of a training program and its impact on GTAs. Communication Teacher, 22(4), 116-129.

[1] A ‘practice network’ is defined as ‘building relationships with others (tutors, facilitators, students) to create opportunities for cooperative learning, enhancing understanding and skill development and improving upon teaching practice overall’.

Presentation topic

Academics – Changing Academic Practice