How do effective professors describe the philosophy that guides their practice? How do effective professors conduct their practice as professionals?
Effective Professors: An Insight into their Philosophy and Practice
Whether consciously or not, all teachers bring to the classroom their own philosophical beliefs and perspectives that influence their teaching and shape the way they interact with students. Research findings support the connection between philosophic positions and educational practice (Conti, 1985, 2007; Coppola, 2002; East, 2013). Giorgi and Roberts (2012) agree that an effective professor has a clearly defined philosophy that outlines his core values as a teacher.
Rossetti and Fox (2009) found four main themes in their search for factors related to successful teaching by outstanding professors. The first theme deals with the notion of presence which refers to the professor’s interaction or relationship with students based on trust, respect, and caring. Promotion of learning is the second theme which suggests that professors are dedicated and committed to their work. The idea of teachers as learners was the third theme which suggests that professors continue to engage in life-long learning in order to keep their practice current. The final theme relates to a teaching style marked by enthusiasm and a love for their subject matter.
In a more recent study, Carraway and Burris (2017) explored common philosophical beliefs about teaching and learning in effective professors operating at a tertiary-level institution. The six emerging themes included: engaging students in learning; maintaining student interest; getting to know students; assessing student knowledge; setting high expectations for students and participating in professional development activities.
Research findings on student conceptions of the most effective professor fall into three major categories: (1) knowledge of the subject taught (2) personal qualities (3) knowledge of teaching and learning (Arnon & Reichel, 2007; Crawford & Bradshaw, 1968; Desai & Jones, 2001; Douna, Kyridis, Zagkos, Ziontaki, & Pandis, 2015; Epting, Zinn, Buskist & Buskist, 2004; Hill, Lomas & MacGregor, 2003; Korte, Lavin & Davies, 2013; Obermiller, Ruppert, & Atwood, 2012; Paswan & Young, 2002; Slate, La Prairie, Schulte, & Onwuegbuzie, 2011; Swanson, Frankel & Sagan, 2005; Witcher, Onwuegbuzie & Minor, 2001).
In a study on teachers who attract or repel, participants listed professionalism; dedication to teaching; preparedness for class; strong ethical values; and caring as the most important characteristics they expect effective professors to possess in the teaching/learning context (Joseph, 2016). The study concluded that understanding students’ expectations of their professors is important for establishing a good professor-student type of relationship that inspires student success. This current study utilizes students’ conceptions of effective professors as a launching pad to gain further insights into the philosophy that guides their practice.
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
The Theoretical framework for this study draws on the philosophical traditions of idealism, realism and pragmatism purported by philosophers such as Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, and Dewey. Persons who identify with the idealist tradition see the teacher’s role as one of passing on knowledge of reality and setting an example of what is considered to be the ethical ideal. Realist teachers want to develop the thinking abilities of students who must make judgements based on careful consideration of evidence. Those professors who embrace the philosophy of pragmatism believe that truth is a concept that evolves over time and that reality is not fixed, but it is in a constant state of flux as one’s experience broadens. Pragmatist teachers, therefore, want to provide learning experiences for students that will develop and deepen their problem- solving skills (Armstrong, 2003). The study is also built on postmodern epistemology influenced by early proponents as Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Husserl and Heidegger. Generally speaking, postmodern philosophy rejects many positions associated with the perspectives of idealism, realism, and pragmatism; and professors who subscribe to postmodern philosophy stress the importance of skepticism, open-ended conclusions and on-going dialogue about significant issues (Beck, 1993).
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
The purpose of this study was to investigate the philosophy and practice of effective professors operating in the education system of Trinidad and Tobago. Two research questions served to focus this investigation:
- How do effective professors describe the philosophy that guides their practice?
- How do effective professors conduct their practice as professionals?
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