University teaching – Teaching & Learning Research Initiative

Work of teacher educators: Teaching and learning in New Zealand university-based initial teacher education

Introduction We have been studying the cultural constructions and material realities of university-based initial teacher education (ITE) and teacher educators’ work in Aotearoa New Zealand. By examining the work of teacher educators, we have been able to consider how ITE and the academic category of teacher educator is constructed, maintained, and practised within the institution of the university. Exploring teacher educators’ work, including teaching and learning activities from perspectives of both student teachers and teacher educators, has provided us with new insights into teaching and learning within university-based ITE. Our research questions have been: How is “teacher educator” constructed and maintained as a category of academic work? What do university-based teacher

Teaching undergraduate mathematics: Perspectives and interactions

The high demand for mathematics in undergraduate education means that large numbers of students enrol in the subject. Lecturing remains the prime delivery mode for teaching such courses. We addressed undergraduate mathematics’ lecturing through three components: lecturers and their development; student perspectives on mathematics; and interactions in the lecturing environment. We used theoretical frameworks from secondary contexts, developing them for tertiary application. This research aimed to improve the didactics of lecturing, and builds on studies on school/university transitions. Key findings Lecturer professional development based on Schoenfeld’s framework positively influenced lecturing practice in a way acceptable to lecturers. Students believe that learning mathematics involves natural ability; and that it is a subject

Exploring eLearning practices across the disciplines in a university environment

This two-year project used case studies to explore information and Communications technology (ICT) and eLearning practices across different tertiary disciplines and with students from diverse backgrounds, instructional levels, and learning experiences. ongoing, team-based critical discussion and sharing of ideas about the role that ICT and eLearning plays within tertiary teaching enhanced professional knowledge building for lecturers. Creative use of ICT also led to increased opportunities for students to bridge from the conceptual world of the tertiary classroom to real-life experiences in their particular subject areas. Key findings ICT and eLearning provide effective means for supporting diverse and changing tertiary cohorts, but these practices need careful curriculum design and monitoring. The use

Success for all: Improving Māori and Pasifika student success in degree-level studies

1. Introduction The Success for All project sought to examine the ways in which nonlecture teaching helps or hinders Māori student and Pasifika student success in preparing for or completing degree-level studies. Good practice was to be identified. This report is the final in a series of detailed technical reports from UniServices prepared by the Success for All research team. Purpose The purpose of the Success for All research was four-fold: identify international best practice in nonlecture teaching and learning in university settings deliver high-quality research on the nature of nonlecture teaching and learning practices that help or hinder Māori and Pasifika student success in preparing for or completing degree-level study

Unlocking student learning: the impact of Teaching and Learning Enhancement Initiatives on first-year university students

Introduction This is the summary report of a project funded by the Teaching and Learning Research Initiative (TLRI) between 2006 and 2008. The project researched evidential links between academic development and student outcomes. It focused on the support provided by academic developers in seven New Zealand universities for teachers of first-year papers and the impact this support had on student learning. Academic developers worked collaboratively with teachers to develop Teaching and Learning Enhancement Initiatives (TLEIs) intended to improve student pass rates. The report uses an orthodox format. It begins by summarising the literature that establishes the research problem and its importance, then summarises the conceptual underpinnings of the project and provides