Proposal Title
Unpacking how instructors’ past experiences influence pedagogical decisions
Session Type
Presentation
Room
Somerville House, room 3315
Start Date
12-7-2023 1:00 PM
End Date
12-7-2023 1:20 PM
Keywords
pedagogical practices, faculty professionalization, instructional change
Primary Threads
Teaching and Learning Science
Abstract
It is commonly believed that faculty teach the way they were taught (Lortie, 1975). However, how instructors’ past educational experiences influence their classroom practices is unclear. To unpack how past experiences influence instructional behavior, we conducted video-stimulated recall interviews with 14 faculty; participants watched recordings of their instruction and reflected on their instructional decisions, the beliefs underlying those decisions, and past experiences influencing those beliefs. We analyzed interview transcripts using the Theory of Planned Behavior (Azjen, 1980) as an interpretive lens. Analyses reveal that (1) instructors rarely copy behaviours from past educational experiences; instead, they tend to innovate and develop behaviours through trial and error; (2) instructors have clear intentions that guide their behaviours, and these intentions are frequently informed by their own past experiences as students; and (3) instructors often lack objective evidence that their behaviours achieve the intended outcomes they described.
This research was approved by the University of Guelph's research ethics board.
Elements of Engagement
We will ask the audience questions throughout our presentation. We will provide some time for faculty to individually reflect on their own past experiences and their beliefs about practice.
Unpacking how instructors’ past experiences influence pedagogical decisions
Somerville House, room 3315
It is commonly believed that faculty teach the way they were taught (Lortie, 1975). However, how instructors’ past educational experiences influence their classroom practices is unclear. To unpack how past experiences influence instructional behavior, we conducted video-stimulated recall interviews with 14 faculty; participants watched recordings of their instruction and reflected on their instructional decisions, the beliefs underlying those decisions, and past experiences influencing those beliefs. We analyzed interview transcripts using the Theory of Planned Behavior (Azjen, 1980) as an interpretive lens. Analyses reveal that (1) instructors rarely copy behaviours from past educational experiences; instead, they tend to innovate and develop behaviours through trial and error; (2) instructors have clear intentions that guide their behaviours, and these intentions are frequently informed by their own past experiences as students; and (3) instructors often lack objective evidence that their behaviours achieve the intended outcomes they described.
This research was approved by the University of Guelph's research ethics board.