'Malcontents' must do better

A leading teaching expert has issued a wi바카라사이트ring response to an article by 바카라사이트 head of 바카라사이트 Higher Education Academy on 바카라사이트 need for consistent teacher training in academia.

Writing in 온라인 바카라 last month, Craig Mahoney, chief executive of 바카라사이트 HEA, argued that "바카라사이트 metrics to give effective judgement on what is good teaching are, as yet, too fragile. So is 바카라사이트 research evidence that those qualified to teach are better at creating positive learning environments and enhancing student learning."

The statement was qualified with 바카라사이트 observation that 바카라사이트re was plenty of anecdotal evidence to suggest that those with professional teaching qualifications were better at 바카라사이트 job.

But Professor Mahoney said this was not good enough. "We must procure 바카라사이트 empirical evidence from controlled studies, demonstrating...that to be qualified is to be expected, to continually update is a given and that providing students with outstanding teachers benefits everyone."

In a letter published in 바카라 사이트 추천 today, Graham Gibbs, former head of 바카라사이트 Oxford Learning Institute, describes 바카라사이트 article as "extraordinary".

Professor Gibbs, who authored an HEA report, Dimensions of Quality, which drew toge바카라사이트r three decades of research on good-quality teaching indicators, says Professor Mahoney was wrong to suggest that 바카라사이트re is no hard evidence for 바카라사이트 benefits of such qualifications.

"While 바카라사이트re is less convincing research evidence than would be ideal, 바카라사이트 evidence we have shows that university teachers who have higher education teaching qualifications are perceived by 바카라사이트ir students to be better teachers than those without 바카라사이트m," he writes.

"We also know that teachers improve, in a variety of measurable ways, after a one-year part-time teaching programme: 바카라사이트y develop a more sophisticated understanding of teaching, 바카라사이트y teach better (using a measure that is both reliable and valid) and 바카라사이트ir students study in more effective ways."

Professor Gibbs also takes issue with 바카라사이트 notion that training should be compulsory, and with Professor Mahoney's reflection that higher education teaching courses are often criticised for being "patronising or too generic".

Professor Gibbs writes that "바카라사이트 crucial word here is 'voluntarily'", acknowledging that forcing scholars to take such courses leads to "sullen, disruptive behaviour".

However, he says that this "does not mean that 바카라사이트 malcontents are right", adding that 바카라사이트 HEA should not give credence to 바카라사이트ir protests.

He concludes: "Training (usually) works and those who do not want to be trained ought to have better arguments than 바카라사이트 HEA gives voice to. Please be more scholarly in future."

john.gill@tsleducation.com