A Developmental Framework for Teaching Expertise in Postsecondary Education


Dr. Natasha Kenny, PhD, Dr. Carol Berenson, PhD, Dr. Nancy Chick, PhD, Dr. Carol Johnson, PhD, Dr. David Keegan, PhD, Dr. Emma Read, PhD, Dr. Leslie Reid, PhD

 

Many postsecondary institutions have started to explore what it means to develop and demonstrate teaching expertise, recognizing not only the complexities of teaching and of documenting the experiences of teaching, but also that teaching expertise is developed through a learning process that continues over time (Hendry & Dean, 2002; Kreber, 2002). Our framework for this growth of teaching expertise draws from the scholarly literature related to postsecondary teaching and learning to demonstrate that teaching expertise involves multiple facets, habits of mind (or ways of knowing and being), and possible developmental activities.

The Structure of the Framework

Our framework introduces three foundational habits of mind—inclusive, learning-centred, and collaborative ways of knowing and being—that ground five interwoven and non-hierarchical facets of teaching expertise:

  • teaching and supporting learning
  • professional learning and development
  • mentorship
  • research, scholarship, and inquiry
  • educational leadership

Within each facet are possible activities that reflect a developmental continuum from explore, to engage, to expand, demonstrating a shift from the growth of oneself within a local context toward contributing to the growth of others and creating processes and resources for the broader teaching and learning community (see table, pp. 5-7).

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