In higher education, the role of faculty often oscillates between research and teaching responsibilities. However, while the title of “professor” carries prestige and expertise in a subject, the act of teaching requires a distinct set of skills rooted in pedagogy, communication, and student engagement. Transitioning from being a professor to a teacher involves understanding the principles of how students learn, a shift that can be actively supported by faculty training programs.

This blog post delves into the importance of centering foundational educational practices in faculty training programs and highlights how these practices can transform professors into effective teachers, creating lasting benefits for students, institutions, and faculty alike.

I went to a large R1 university for my undergraduate degree. I absolutely loved my time at the school and have no regrets about my choice. I did, though, struggle in my first couple of years in my classes. Large lecture halls, filled with students from the front to the back, and a professor at the front with a mic. This was not the classroom experience that I was used to, coming out of high school and I couldn’t quite understand why I was not grasping the material. Yes, the content was hard, but I also do not feel that I was necessarily being taught; I was more being lectured to and expected to grasp it and regurgitate the information on an exam. In these large lecture hall classes, this dynamic became the norm, and I eventually accepted that I would need to teach myself much of the material outside of the classroom. 

Now that I am on the other side of the higher education experience, I think back and wonder, were these professors trained to teach students? Or were they just experts in their field? What would it look like for professors of all disciplines to learn foundational educational principles in order for students to actually learn the material and not feel the need to teach themselves? 

Why Foundational Practices Matter

1. Improved Student Learning Outcomes
   Foundational educational practices such as active learning, backward course design, and inclusive teaching strategies significantly improve student learning outcomes. Research by Freeman et al. (2014) found that active learning increases student performance in STEM disciplines by over 6% compared to traditional lecturing. These principles are not inherent to subject matter expertise; they must be learned and practiced.

2. Bridging the Gap Between Expertise and Communication
   Subject expertise does not guarantee the ability to effectively communicate complex ideas. Foundational practices emphasize clarity in learning objectives, scaffolding complex concepts, and using formative assessments to gauge student understanding. Ambrose et al. (2010) argue in How Learning Works: Seven Research-Based Principles for Smart Teaching that faculty can dramatically improve student outcomes by adopting evidence-based teaching strategies rooted in how the brain processes and retains information.

3. Addressing Diverse Learner Needs
   The modern classroom is increasingly diverse, encompassing students with varying learning preferences, abilities, and backgrounds. Foundational training helps faculty adopt inclusive teaching practices, such as Universal Design for Learning (UDL), which ensures that all students have equitable access to learning. A study by Burgstahler (2015) emphasizes the importance of UDL in higher education, noting its role in reducing barriers to learning for students with disabilities while benefiting all learners.

Building Faculty Training Programs Around Foundational Practices

To effectively integrate foundational teaching practices, faculty development programs should focus on:

1. Active Learning Workshops
   These workshops train faculty in techniques such as think-pair-share, flipped classrooms, and problem-based learning to foster student engagement.

2. Inclusive Teaching Seminars
   Help faculty design inclusive syllabi, assignments, and classroom experiences that respect student diversity.

3. Mentorship and Peer Observations
   Establish mentorship opportunities between seasoned and newer faculty to foster reflective teaching. Facilitate peer observations for constructive feedback and sharing best practices.

4. Evidence-Based Pedagogy Training
   Introducing faculty to the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) encourages them to apply research to their classrooms. Key texts like Bain’s What the Best College Teachers Do (2004) provide inspiration and frameworks for excellence in teaching.

Challenges and Opportunities

Transforming faculty into effective teachers requires time, resources, and institutional commitment. Faculty may initially resist adopting new practices due to time constraints or a belief that teaching skills are natural. However, studies show that when institutions invest in professional development, faculty report increased confidence and effectiveness in teaching (Wright et al., 2018).

By embedding foundational educational practices into faculty training, universities can ensure that professors are not just experts in their fields but also skilled educators capable of inspiring and guiding their students. This shift benefits everyone: students achieve deeper learning, faculty experience more meaningful engagement with their teaching, and institutions build stronger academic communities.

Conclusion

Moving from professor to teacher is a transformative journey that requires intentionality and support. Foundational educational practices provide the framework for this transformation, enabling faculty to become effective educators. By prioritizing these practices in faculty training programs, universities can create learning environments where both students and faculty thrive.

References

• Ambrose, S. A., Bridges, M. W., DiPietro, M., Lovett, M. C., & Norman, M. K. (2010). How Learning Works: Seven Research-Based Principles for Smart Teaching. Jossey-Bass.
• Bain, K. (2004). What the Best College Teachers Do. Harvard University Press.
• Burgstahler, S. (2015). Universal Design in Higher Education: From Principles to Practice. Harvard Education Press.
• Freeman, S., Eddy, S. L., McDonough, M., et al. (2014). Active learning increases student performance in science, engineering, and mathematics. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 111(23), 8410-8415.

Wright, M. C., Goldwasser, M., & Jacobson, W. (2018). Faculty development improves teaching effectiveness. International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 30(2), 277-287.