To contextualize the myriad of teaching development efforts available to faculty, this large-scale study of nearly 4,500 faculty at four-year institutions broadens our understandings of who participates in teaching development practices, how their participation relates to their institutional environments, and how their participation connects to…

Subtle forms of prejudice called "microaggressions" occur in college classrooms, but the effective methods of managing such prejudice are not clear. This study explored teachers' (N = 222) and students' (N = 166) perceptions of vignettes describing classroom microaggressions and the effectiveness of various teacher responses to the…

Faculty may perceive many barriers to active learning in their classrooms. Four groups of participants in a faculty development workshop were asked to list their perceived barriers to active learning. Many of the problems identified were present on more than one list. The barriers fall into three categories: student characteristics, issues…

A university-educated art historian examines her transition to teaching at a small southern college. Challenges faced included a new clientele of students, the metamorphosis from graduate student to content expert, committee demands and overcommitment, and finding a personal niche. Significant benefits of small-college professional life are also…

Through qualitative analyses of narratives of what students and faculty wanted in their relationships, the authors identified three themes. The Teaching/Learning Environment theme illustrated needs for nurturing, open, nonthreatening, and respectful attitudes in student-faculty relationships. Exchange of Information students reported a desire to…

Reluctance of college faculty to teach critical thinking may be due to many factors. Proactive strategies for reducing resistance include creating a positive context for change, communicating expertness and credibility, creating a sense of safety and trust, countering sources of student resistance, and creating high hopes and expectations for…

Discusses ethical dilemmas that professors face in the classroom, drawing on three examples involving students: (1) discussing the illegal activities of an employer; (2) participating in politically controversial military activities; and (3) making racist comments. Argues that academic and professional organizations should issue codes of ethics…