Conceptions of excellent teaching: A phenomenographic study of winners of awards for teaching excellence

Abstract

Academics nowadays are increasingly expected to implement high-quality teaching, what is frequently referred to as ‘excellent teaching’. Understandings of academics’ conceptions of excellent teaching are, however, limited despite extensive research on different aspects of quality teaching. To address this gap, there is a need to expand the somewhat limited understanding of teaching as being located mainly within a subject matter and address the lack of a holistic appreciation of the interrelationships between teaching and other academic practices. In this study, we investigated conceptions of excellent teaching by adopting a broad view on teaching that covers curriculum design and programme leadership as well as the interaction between teaching, research and service. The research participants were twenty-four winners of awards for teaching excellence in two research-intensive universities in Hong Kong. Four conceptions of excellent teaching were identified: 1) teachers teach confidently and effectively; 2) teachers guide students to achieve the intended learning outcomes; 3) teachers empower students to develop knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values holistically; and 4) teachers work with students to enable them to own their learning and become lifelong learners. The more complex conceptions show more concerns about students’ long-term development as well as a stronger connection between student learning, academics’ research, and the wider community. A significant contribution of the research is the identification of additional conceptions of teaching excellence, including an expanded focus on students’ holistic development and connections between teaching, research, and broader academic roles.