Beyond Instructional Development: An Exploration of Using Formal Pedagogy Training to Benefit Perceived Quality of Life and Sense of Community in Graduate Students

Authors

Matthew Mahavongtrakul, University of California, Irvine
Ashley Hooper, University of California, Irvine
Daniel Mann, University of California, Irvine
Brian Sato, University of California, Irvine

ORCID IDs

Mahavongtrakul 0000-0003-3048-3456

Hooper 0000-0003-4978-2747

Sato 0000-0003-1489-0705

Date of this Version

Winter 2021

Document Type

Article

Citation

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development (winter 2021) 40(2): 1-61

doi: 10.3998/tia.406

Comments

License: CC BY-NC-ND

Abstract

The Association of American Colleges and Universities calls for improvements in teaching preparation in graduate programs as a transferable skill for future faculty. However, the amount of institutional and faculty support for these programs is limited. For the relatively few programs that exist, rarely do they have their outcomes assessed in a data-driven manner. This is disconcerting considering that participation in professional development can improve work-life balance, and graduate students often work long hours, suffer from mental health issues, and face increasing career competition. In this case study, we explore how two teaching development programs impacted pedagogical knowledge, perceived quality of life, and sense of community in graduate students at the University of California, Irvine. Using a mixed methods approach, we demonstrate that participants in our introductory quarter-long Developing Teaching Excellence course increased their pedagogical knowledge, and participants in both our introductory course and our advanced year-long Pedagogical Fellows Program reported having improved quality of life and sense of belonging. Most commonly, participants framed these pedagogical programs/courses as providing a safe and inclusive space to explore teaching in an interdisciplinary manner; a network of like-minded and supportive peers; and an opportunity to develop greater confidence in teaching, mentorship, and other aspects of graduate life such as conducting research and entering the academic job market. Taken together, our results indicate that providing a structured, nurturing environment for graduate students to develop their pedagogical knowledge and practice may lead to improved quality of life and sense of belonging.