Marian Fitzmaurice

Voices from within: teaching in higher education as a moral practice

This paper explores the concept of good teaching and discusses lecturers’ beliefs about what constitutes good teaching in higher education. The paper draws on documentary material in the form of philosophy of teaching statements written by lecturers in higher education. Thematic analysis is used to examine the philosophy statements and the analysis of the data reveals that for academic staff, the moral stances of honesty, respect, responsibility, care and compassion are fundamental to good teaching. The results do not support a narrow view of teaching focused on strategies and technical knowledge, but shows evidence of academics engaging strongly with the values base of their work as teachers. The voices of the academic staff as captured in their philosophy statements are cognisant of the moral purpose of teaching and speak powerfully to a practice that is responsible and effective. Both dispositions are important in terms of teaching and the challenge is to integrate the two concepts in professional development.

Constructing professional identity as a new academic: a moral endeavour

There is an emergent literature on the professional identities of academics working in higher education but little attention has been given to academics new to higher education. Yet, for new academic staff entering higher education, questions arise in relation to their identity and purpose, and the moral and value dimension of identity remains an important, but under explored, element of identity construction. This research draws on the literature on morality and ethics, and data from an interview study, in order to redress the absence of discussion and discourse about the role these latter two concepts play in the identity construction of new academics, in order to provide a fuller understanding of their identity construction. Attention is drawn to important aspects of morality evident in their experiences as they forge an identity. From the research it is clear that becoming an academic is experienced as a cognitive and emotive process, and is a moral endeavour grounded in virtues of honesty, care and compassion.

Considering teaching in higher education as a practice

At a time when learning and teaching in higher education have become the focus of increasing attention and high priority is being accorded to the attainment of excellence in teaching there is a growing concern that teaching is being reduced to the acquisition of a set of competencies. This paper will draw on the work of Alasdair MacIntyre to explore the nature of a practice and of teaching as a practice, and then draw on a case study of teachers in a higher education institute in Ireland to gain some insights into the realities of practice. While acknowledging that this knowledge is unequivocally contextual, this case study has the potential to contribute to our understanding of teaching by affording insights into how teachers respond to the challenges of practice. The paper will argue that to conceive of teaching as a practice, in the manner in which practice is explained and elaborated by MacIntyre, moves us beyond a narrow and mechanistic view of teaching built around the adoption of effective strategies to one that is broader in scope and takes into account notions of internal standards of excellence, complexity and integrity.

Towards productive reflective practice in microteaching

This paper details a small-scale, research study into lecturers’ perceived impact of microteaching within a postgraduate certificate in teaching in higher education in Ireland. Participants engage on the programme for a range of reasons: to broaden expertise and knowledge beyond the disciplinary boundaries within which they primarily operate; to build on and develop their scholarly profiles; and to reflect on their teaching experience to date. Participation in microteaching has provided a sense of validation for much of what these lecturers do and how they do it, which has resulted in ongoing critical reflection and peer discussion. Although initially giving rise to anxiety among some participants, microteaching has led to greater self-awareness and increased confidence in participants’ own ability and expertise, and a reaffirmation of their teaching style and practice. There is a role for academic developers to support lecturers to be reflective and reflexive in order that they can create their own professional knowledge. The microteaching sessions provided an opportunity for the lecturers to gain insights into their teaching role, engage in dialogue and become more reflective about their practice. It is believed that this is a welcome addition to the professional life of a lecturer.

Supporting programme teams to develop sequencing in higher education curricula

Curriculum sequencing is central to promoting a coherent student experience. Yet in the higher education context, the concept and practice of curriculum sequencing have not been fully explored. This research examined how seven programme teams approached the issue of sequencing across two Irish higher education institutions. A phenomenological approach was used to explore actions, challenges, and enhancers to sequencing. The three key themes emerging were: developing a collective philosophy; communicating the sequencing clearly; and, developing strong building blocks. Ideas are presented on how academic developers can work with academic staff to improve sequencing in their curricula.

Academic developers using narrative to support our professional development

This article illustrates how narrative can be used as a tool to support those of us engaged in academic practice. It stems from a programme conducted with members of the Educational Developers of Ireland Network (EDIN) where the authors used narrative as a framework to critically reflect on our roles and practices as academic developers. Given the rise of managerial values and the drive for sustainability that dominates the current higher education context, this paper argues that academic developers need to find ways to sustain our-selves in our work and to reclaim the emotions and values that define us, even if they are not reflected back to us by our institutions. The process also resulted in very practical outcomes that focused on sustaining and strengthening our network. The authors propose that this approach to narrative not only enhances collegiality and support but can help steer the sustainability of academic development networks like EDIN.

Supervising and Writing a Good Undergraduate Dissertation

The considerable increase in numbers of students required to complete undergraduate dissertations as part of their curricula demonstrates a clear need for supporting academic staff from a wide variety of disciplines in this area. There has been limited research published in the realm of undergraduate supervision. Therefore, supervision of academic dissertations in an undergraduate setting still remains to be addressed in a comprehensive manner. The overarching theme of this reference work is the convergence of shared understandings, strategies and reflections of undergraduate supervisors from around the world, from many different subject disciplines. There is also a need today for a mapping of the current landscape of undergraduate supervision. This text is presented through a series of case studies from a wide variety of subject disciplines in the sciences and arts and is enlightened by research perspectives; it comprises of a focus on development needs for supervisors of undergraduate students, using updated information, modeling exercises and interaction in the form of a series of individual activities, along with a selection geared at programme team development in preparing supervisors for their role, choice key readings, and exploration of online resources. This eBook is intended as a guide for academic staff across various disciplines who are involved with dissertation supervision. It is valuable to those in the early stages of their career who may be supervising for the first time; equally, it provides support, guidance and affirmation to those who have supervised over a number of years.