Getting a research degree for example PhD, MPhil, MRes is mostly a research that is done by the recipient of such degrees, On the other hand getting a qualification in Education is a profession.
In my view, getting a pure research degree does not necessary means the recipient of such research degrees are expert in the transmission of knowledge to learners. Researchers in my view should equally have professional educational qualification which will make them double professionals
Hi, Philip,
The bigger question is, who is better trained to do both? After all, academics are expected to be both educators and researchers. One trained in education (curriculum studies and teaching) may not have learned the essentials of scholarship, but there is little doubt that one trained in research has learned the skills necessary to acquire knowledge in virtually any field of inquiry. I would propose that a researcher can more readily become a good educator if s/he so desires than an educator can master the rigors of original research on his/her own.
Yes, I agree with you. They need to take some courses in curriculum studies and teaching, anyway there is in-service training.
Hi, Philip,
The bigger question is, who is better trained to do both? After all, academics are expected to be both educators and researchers. One trained in education (curriculum studies and teaching) may not have learned the essentials of scholarship, but there is little doubt that one trained in research has learned the skills necessary to acquire knowledge in virtually any field of inquiry. I would propose that a researcher can more readily become a good educator if s/he so desires than an educator can master the rigors of original research on his/her own.
Mr. Philip Attipoe Gorni, let me start by saying this:
It is a high level, important question and very interesting.
In my opinion, universities will never do this, because if they will do, it is like saying this lecturer, or that Dr. ( ), does not have skill, or they are not in a position to teach unless they take that course. Most of the times, the biggest loser will remain the students.
I hope I answered your great question.
Best Regards,
Ahmad AL-Dafrawi..
Good morning
When I was professor in Venezuela I should study a master o specialized in Education. If we did not do this we could not teach. So for me was a nice experience because all University was in that Master and we were from all Faculties we learn as educators strategic and theories.
It helped a lot to prepare our students
Ingrid
Prof kindle, those who are trained as teachers also carry out research. You can not have a PhD in curriculum studies and teaching without research. The issue here is that, some of the lecturers who are trained in other areas such as chemistry, mathematics etc need some courses in teaching. Having the knowledge is one thing, being able to effectively transmit the knowledge is another thing.
There are some lecturers who are highly knowledgeable but can not teach effectively.
More and more countries introduce or tend to introduce higher education training institutions or opportunities. That is recent though. Research on higher education teaching is not as old as other areas. I believe that as time goes by, more university teachers will get more training on that. Research will be done and disseminated anyway.
One thing l know is that most educators who start teaching from childhood before such children enter colleges and or universities are mostly trained teachers. These teachers actually prepare students from the word go and since gaining knowledge both formal/informal is like a scaffolding, Is seems to me that researchers who have educational degrees as well will be in a better position to impact knowledge to students that a pure researcher.
Am a research student but has also got professional diploma certificate in education and training and l can see the difference whenever l attend lectures.
Fortunately, my supervisor is also a trained educator and has got a PhD
Hi Philip,
I sincerely believe that teaching is an art though other thoughts say it is science. Whether you were trained to educate or you are a PhD holder the fact is transmitting knowledge is a unique art and anyone with this skill can do the job. However, let me be quick to say Lecturers with education background maybe advantageous.
Professional teaching requires professional certification for teaching. For these reasons is the Faculty of Education established or some other institutes that provide such certifications. Perhaps, most who get a job as teacher never acquired such professional certifications. After all, one has to be even gifted for teaching.
I do think that this is a generalisation.
Whilst i accept that not all academics can teach, nor do they all have a teaching qualification, in the UK the number is rising. The data that I can easily find shows that in 2014/15 59,285 academics held a recognised teaching qualification in HE (that equates to 47% of the total number of academics in UK universities in that time period). The following year; 2015/16 some 65,405 academic staff were recorded as having a teaching qualification (this equates to 51% of the 128,775 academic staff in Universities in the same time period).
The data can be found here: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/news/19-10-2017/academic-teaching-qualifications
Sorry - to add, I agree with the comments here too - not all researchers or professors have the ability to teach. Not all school teachers have the ability to teach adults either - even if they can gain the prerequisite subject knowledge they may need moving from school to University.
After all the issue is not if some can or cant teach but rather why it is so. For that reason experienced teachers need to evaluate if a person is suitable for a position or not. Its a kind of help to say someone that to leave a job is better than educate some or many in a wrong way. Helping the other find a more suitable job is a solution. Can that happen? That is often ideal to imagine but I believe it is so in esteemed institutions.
Paul: This is a good question. In my opinion, all college professors who have teaching duties should receive training on good teaching methods.
My PhD degree is actually in Economic Education, so I took courses in both Economics and Teaching. This is how all PhD degrees should be designed if the student plans to be a college teacher.
All newly hired professors should receive training in the university teaching strategies and methods.
Teachers, young and old, new and established should be given the time to develop; to share and to train in order to meet the needs of an evolving audience. This should not be left to those joining the profession, nor those 'on a course' or on some sort of 'leadership pathway'. Training and good quality development should be available to all. I recently wrote about this universal panacea here, in which I describe that regular and sustained staff training is part of our daily diet.
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