Sustaining a commitment to teaching in a research-intensive university: what we learn from award-winning faculty

Abstract

Within any higher education institution, there are great teachers who recognize the challenges to sustaining a commitment to highly effective teaching. The current paper explores the beliefs and practices of 10 faculty members who won an undergraduate teacher of the year award at a research-intensive institution. The paper explores the challenges faculty face in prioritizing teaching, the strategies they use to meet these challenges, and suggests institutional supports with the potential to facilitate high-quality teaching in higher education.