Researching your Teaching

21 September 2022

Identifying what student learning occurs in your course and why, contributes to your knowledge of how your teaching and learning environment can be changed to benefit all students.

Critically reflecting on your teaching and participating in peer observation (for example through the Teaching and Learning Circle initiative) can help you to better understand the teaching and learning environment you provide in your course. You can further this understanding by engaging in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning and conducting your own educational research.

A variety of teaching and learning research projects are possible. Use LibrarySearch to find examples of published educational research in your discipline area. If you have introduced a new, innovative teaching practice, you may choose to look at the change in your teaching practice closely and critically by examining the impact on student satisfaction, participation, engagement, and/or learning.

To find out more and to get started with educational research, the Teaching Quality team has organised a Researching your Teaching workshop with Professor Carol Mutch from the University of Auckland (find out more here). Book your place here and join us to find the answers to questions such as:

Why bother?
Where do I start?
Is it taken seriously?
What methods work best?
What are the ethical issues?
Where do I publish?
What are some real-life examples?
What are some research project ideas?