Trial by Hire: The Seven Stages of Learning to Teach in Higher Education

Abstract

This phenomenological study describes seven stages of learning to teach at the university level. Through the use of narratives, twelve Canadian university professors reveal their beliefs and attitudes about teaching and learning as they struggle to become better teachers within various academic settings. The purpose of the study was to develop a better understanding of self-directed and transformative learning as it relates to adults who engage in on-the-job-training. Data analysis resulted in eight themes which occurred in seven developmental stages: Warming, Forming, Informing, Storming, Performing, Reforming, and Transforming. The findings suggest that a better understanding of the stages of learning to teach in higher education could: 1) enable faculty to gain confidence in their teaching ability earlier on in their careers (Bain, 2004); 2) assist faculty developers to better meet the changing needs of faculty (Cranton, 2001); and 3) guide administrators in their efforts to promote the scholarship of teaching and learning within their academic milieu (MacKeracher, 1996).