Document Type

Article

Department

Office of the Provost

Abstract

Lecturers’ engagement in professional development activities to enhance their academic practice is firmly embedded within the landscape of higher education. Although enhancing the student learning experience underpins teaching-related continuing professional development (CPD), interestingly the role of students in supporting such activities has been underexplored. Drawing on data captured from eight student representatives interviewed in the context of an international impact evaluation, we examine student awareness of, and attitudes towards, lecturers’ CPD. Participants recognised the value of lecturers engaging in CPD but believed it to be an activity they were removed from, and had little opportunity to engage with. We consider how this perspective could be changed in two ways. Firstly, we reflect on the experiences of students at one university where their contributions to lecturers’ development were legitimised and valued. Secondly, we discuss the potential of integrative approaches, such as students as consultants or reverse mentoring. We argue that these approaches may challenge existing hierarchies that limit students engaging in lectures and create spaces through which students can positively contribute to lecturers’ CPD.

Comments

Volume, issue, and pagination are not provided by the author/publisher.

Publication (Name of Journal)

Professional Development in Education

DOI

http://doi.org/10.1080/19415257.2024.2307001

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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