Addressing the Needs of Doctoral Students as Academic Practitioners - A Collaborative Inquiry on Teaching in Higher Education

Oct 15, 2026

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This paper reports preliminary findings from a pilot study examining how a tenure-track faculty member and a doctoral student understood and developed their teaching practice within a formal faculty–student relationship. Through collaborative inquiry and collaborative self-study, the study used verbal and written dialogue, interrogation, and observation to examine how the relationship supported the growth of effective teaching pedagogy. The work is motivated by strengthening high-quality undergraduate teaching in a faculty of education and is guided by the question of how post-secondary educators investigate and improve their teaching practices.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages16

Reading Time40 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Collaborative inquiry and collaborative self-study

Motivation and research question

Context: universities and teaching responsibilities

Neoliberalization and funding pressures

Shifts in faculty roles and teaching opportunities

Tensions between teaching and research

Pilot study purpose and initiative

Formal faculty–student relationship

Mentorship framing and rationale

CSSHE SCÉES Canadian Journal of Higher Education Revue canadienne d’enseignement supérieur Volume 45, No. 3, 2015, pages 68-83 Addressing the Needs of Doctoral Students as Academic Practitioners: A Collaborative Inquiry on Teaching in Higher Education Lisa J. Starr and Ashley DeMartini McGill University Abstract This paper presents preliminary findings from a pilot study whose purpose was to explore how we, a tenure-track faculty member and a doctoral student, understood and developed our teaching practice when engaged in a formal faculty–student relationship. Using a hybrid of collaborative inquiry and collaborative self-study—which included verbal and written dialogue, interrogation, as well as observation—we sought to understand how that formal faculty–student relationship promoted the development of strong teaching pedagogy. The motivation for this study was a commitment to fostering highquality teaching in undergraduate courses in our faculty of education. Driving this study was the research question: How are we investigating and improving upon our practices as teachers in post-secondary education? Résumé Cet article présente les résultats préliminaires d’une étude pilote dont le but était d’explorer la façon dont nous, une professeure et une doctorante, avons compris et élaboré notre pratique d’enseignement lorsqu’engagées dans une relation formelle professeur-étudiant. En combinant recherche et autoétude collaborative, comprenant dialogue verbal et écrit, interrogation et observation,nous avonscherché à comprendre comment cette relation formelle professeur-étudiant favorisait l’évolution d’une pédagogie d’enseignementefficace. Le but de cette étude était d’assurer la qualité élevée des cours de premier cycle au sein de notre faculté d’éducation. La question de recherche à l’origine de cette étude était la suivante : Comment étudier et améliorer nos pratiques pédagogiques en matière d’enseignement postsecondaire? CJHE / RCES Volume 45, No. 3, 2015 Doctoral Students as Academic Practitioners / L. J. Starr & A. DeMartini 69 Unprecedented changes have occurred within universities. Neoliberalization of the academy has decreased public funds and increased the need to compete globally (Archer, 2008; Lorenz, 2014; Ramsden, 2003). Competing in a global knowledge-economy has required investments in a competitive research output model while simultaneously reducing expenditures, seeking non-public funding sources, and implementing structures to demonstrate transparency and accountability across university faculties (Henkel, 1997; Light & Cox, 2001; Strathern, 2000). Class sizes have increased from the 1980s, and lecturershave been faced with a diverse student body who possess varying skills and learning needs (Cooper & Robinson, 2000; Kokkelenberg, Dillon, & Christy, 2008). The relationship between teaching and research within the university has been fraught with tension; to what extent teaching and research can be considered distinct or symbiotic activities remains tobe seen (Barnett, 2005; Jenkins, 2003). Yet, teaching responsibilities have persisted in Canadian academia, particularly in faculties of education, where few positions have been research only. Given this reality, Ramsden (2003) has argued that investing in the quality of teaching has been one way for a university to distinguish itself competitively. In the midst of universities’ structural and financial overhaul, questions about teaching and its future role in academic institutions in coming decades have emerged. In some institutions, tenure-track positions have been disappearing in favour of contract lecture positions. On the one hand, job security has been eroding within the academy. On the other hand, these short-term contracts have created an opportunity for some doctoral students to gain valuable teaching experience (Cross & Goldenberg, 2011; Thompson, 2003). In these uncertain times, how have doctoral students been learning to teach at un

FAQs

What is the main purpose of the pilot study described in the abstract?

To explore how a tenure-track faculty member and a doctoral student understood and developed their teaching practice within a formal faculty–student relationship.

What methods were used to investigate the development of teaching practice?

A hybrid of collaborative inquiry and collaborative self-study, including verbal and written dialogue, interrogation, and observation.

Why does the study focus on undergraduate teaching quality?

It is motivated by a commitment to fostering high-quality teaching in undergraduate courses in the faculty of education.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Muffet