William Condon

Faculty Professional Development and Student Learning: What is the Relationship?

Change • May/June 2012 Proposition: Educators improve their pedagogy through professionaldevelopment programs, and students learn more as a result. Doctoral programs vary widely in their preparation of graduate students for their professional roles, often providing unequal attention to the areas in which faculty are traditionally evaluated: research, teaching, and service. And even the most well-prepared new or seasoned teacher benefits from ongoing exposure to pedagogical innovations based in research on human learning. Recognizing the merits of lifelong learning by professionals engaged in a scholarly career that includes classroom teaching, many colleges and universities invest in workshops, speakers, and other activities designed to provide continuing education to faculty.