CID Survey Data: Teaching Convening- Ready to Teach

Persistence of Vision by Sven Geier

CID Summer 2005 Convening: Developing Effective Teachers

Ready to Teach: The Development of Vision

CID-Survey Data

This Snapshot presents data from the Carnegie Foundation surveys of graduate students and faculty about how new teachers develop a vision of their teaching that enhances their readiness to teach.

In order to design and teach their courses, new teachers must imagine ideal classrooms that reflect their vision of how students learn. The development of this vision (sometimes called a "teaching philosophy") may be informal and idiosyncratic or highly structured and carefully mentored. The survey data suggest that there are a variety of successful practices for supporting the development of students in this area; however it is evident that gaps in program support leave some students less than ready to teach upon completion of the Ph.D.

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Survey Results
About a third of students at the dissertation writing stage report that they have developed a written teaching philosophy; this practice varies greatly by discipline with a much higher occurence in the humanities than the sciences.
While some faculty advisors play an important role in mentoring their students development as teachers, in general faculty reported that they rarely give their advisees feedback on their teaching.

Chart: Faculty Feedback on Teaching

Chart: Students and Teaching Philosophy

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The results from the student survey suggest that despite a lack of program emphasis on developing a written teaching philosophy and a lack of advisor feedback on teaching, there are opportunities to discuss teaching philosophy and strategies within the department.
Many students (more than 40 across all the disciplines) are not discussing teaching philosophy or strategies with faculty.

Chart: Discussed Teaching

Qualitative Results
Survey respondents had the opportunity to write statements about the topic of teaching. For a sample of what doctoral students and faculty had to say on this topic, click on the link below.

In Their Own Words

Survey Overview
As part of the research strand of the Carnegie Initiative on the Doctorate (CID), two surveys -- one each to graduate students and faculty -- were administered by Carnegie staff to doctoral students and graduate faculty in the participating departments of the CID (84 departments and programs at 44 universities).
Graduate Student Survey
The Carnegie Graduate Student Survey was administered to all doctoral students in participating departments. In all, 2,176 students from 76 departments at 40 universities responded.
Graduate Faculty Survey
The Carnegie Graduate Faculty survey was administered to faculty in participating departments. In all, 668 faculty members in 63 departments at 32 universities completed the survey.

Overview of surveys
Summary of survey goals and overview of tables and graphs.
Snapshot of Survey Data
This snapshot includes several graphs and tables of data from the CID faculty and student surveys.

Contact Information
Carnegie Initiative on the Doctorate
cid@carnegiefoundation.org
650/566-5107