T4L for Change Agents (CAs) is a professional development project for volunteer faculty at University of Padova who want to play the role of facilitators and motivators of teaching innovation within their departments. Since 2018 two professional development paths for CAs have been realized, and two groups of faculties have been trained. This qualitative study was carried out during last wintertime to understand the transformation that the training experience have generated in terms of teachers’ perspectives and teaching practices, and to know what challenges as CAs can be faced within academic contexts. In this study nine CAs were involved in a face-to-face interview. They belonged to different areas of knowledge. Findings show that training experiences offered them elements of dissonance that questioned their teaching and learning perspectives. The discoveries that faculties mentioned were related to the variety of methods, the role of students in the process of learning, the potentiality of feedback, the teacher-student relationship. The experience was impactful on their teaching practices. Concerning their role of CA all of them have recognized an opportunity in terms of personal and professional development, the possibility to be part of a valuable community at meso level. However, most of them have faced some challenges because of colleagues’ resistance. Participants identified support and formal recognition of their role as conditions for a sustainable professional learning community.

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Becoming Change Agents at University: Challenges and Opportunity

  • Concetta Tino,
  • Monica Fedeli

摘要

T4L for Change Agents (CAs) is a professional development project for volunteer faculty at University of Padova who want to play the role of facilitators and motivators of teaching innovation within their departments. Since 2018 two professional development paths for CAs have been realized, and two groups of faculties have been trained. This qualitative study was carried out during last wintertime to understand the transformation that the training experience have generated in terms of teachers’ perspectives and teaching practices, and to know what challenges as CAs can be faced within academic contexts. In this study nine CAs were involved in a face-to-face interview. They belonged to different areas of knowledge. Findings show that training experiences offered them elements of dissonance that questioned their teaching and learning perspectives. The discoveries that faculties mentioned were related to the variety of methods, the role of students in the process of learning, the potentiality of feedback, the teacher-student relationship. The experience was impactful on their teaching practices. Concerning their role of CA all of them have recognized an opportunity in terms of personal and professional development, the possibility to be part of a valuable community at meso level. However, most of them have faced some challenges because of colleagues’ resistance. Participants identified support and formal recognition of their role as conditions for a sustainable professional learning community.