Book Description

This book is concerned with the evaluation and professional development of academic staff, with student evaluation of teaching, and with the interrelationship between evaluation instruments and the professional development program at the University of Queensland. Part I looks at the attitudes of academic staff towards evaluation and professional development, at their roles as teachers and researchers in relation to such evaluation, and at their use of the provisions offered. Data from more than a hundred interviews show the majority of staff to be teaching and research orientated. Part II describes the establishment of the student evaluation of teaching scheme, which has been widely accepted by staff and which the institution has endorsed for promotion and tenure evaluation. In Part III the specific purposes and context for evaluation and professional development are discussed: self improvement, feedback during the five year probationary period, and evaluation for promotion. Part IV analyses the impact of evaluation and professional development activities on the University of Queensland and suggests ways of making evaluation constructive and acceptable to staff.