Why Are We So Slow to Change the Way We Teach?

professor writing on board
Some thoughts about change—not so much what to change, as the process of change, offered in light of its slow occurrence. Yes, lecture is a good example. In a recent survey, 275 econ faculty who teach principles courses reported they lectured 70 percent of the class time, led discussion 20 percent of the time, and had students doing activities for 10 percent of the time. The article cites studies in that field from the mid-’90s reporting similar percentages. Maybe some other fields have changed more, but evidence supports a continuing reliance on lecture in many fields.

To continue reading, you must be a Teaching Professor Subscriber. Please log in or sign up for full access.

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Related Articles

I have two loves: teaching and learning. Although I love them for different reasons, I’ve been passionate about...
The Transparency in Learning and Teaching (TILT) Framework (Winkelmes, 2012, 2016) provides a helpful way to inform and...
If we named the purposes of college, chief among them would be ideas surrounding the transfer of knowledge...
Higher education has traditionally taught from theory to practice. Students first learn the underlying principles of a subject,...
Two truths and a lie is a popular social icebreaker game. In case you aren’t familiar with it,...
“How do we know students are earning the degrees we confer?” That question, which a board member at...
E-learning literature and research strongly suggest that online instructors should build their presence into a successful asynchronous course....

Create a free account, or log in.

Gain access to limited free articles, news alerts, and select newsletters

Login here

Get unlimited access to The Teaching Professor

Stay informed. Subscribe Now.

WELCOME OFFER

$19.00 $14.00/month

for your first 6 months. Use coupon code TP6MO.

$19.00 thereafter. Cancel anytime.

Enjoy unlimited access to all of The Teaching Professor

You only have  free article views remaining.

WELCOME OFFER

$19.00 $14.00/month

for your first 6 months. Use coupon code TP6MO.

$19.00 a month thereafter. Cancel anytime.