2022 Volume 44 Issue 2 Pages 40-50
Universities need to enhance learner-centered teaching to develop the qualities and abilities that will lead students from high school to college. To understand how faculty members belief new teaching methods and engage in learner-centered teaching, it is necessary to derive valid analytical perspectives. Based on the learner-centered teaching perspective, there have been no empirical studies that focus on the beliefs on teaching of university faculty members that can lead to appropriate suggestions for faculty development training. In this study, we focused on the structure of the beliefs that were held by teachers involved in educational improvement on education and teaching from the perspective of learner-centered teaching.
First, a preliminary survey was conducted to develop a scale of teaching beliefs for improving learner-centered teaching. The survey obtained data from 168 university faculty members, which were subjected to factor analysis; five factors were identified (Study 1). Next, through a semi-structured interview survey of nine faculty members, the relationship between each factor was qualitatively explored with a focus on “learner-centered teaching orientation” to supplement the content validity of the scale (Study 2). In addition, a survey was conducted to validate the stability and discrimination aspects of the modified scale using newly collected data (Study 3). Regarding stability, we used path analysis to confirm that each of the four subscales (“sense of resistance to change”, “sense of acceptance of support”, “fixed competence belief”, and “teaching efficacy”) had an impact on “learner-centered teaching orientation”. Regarding discriminability, a comparison was made between a group of 129 university faculty members who were asked to respond exclusively when they participated in a training on faculty development and a group of 61 faculty members who voluntarily participated in the similar training. Statistically significant differences were found for all variables.
Based on the results of the analysis, we presented suggestions for educational development support. We argued that creating opportunities for faculty members to share their successes in improving their teaching is effective and enables them to increase their teaching efficacy. It is also important to consider how classroom development can be encouraged in the context of mutually beneficial collaboration. In future studies, accumulating research on educational practices that utilize this scale is necessary, as is conducting qualitative research that derive effective suggestions.
