Centres for Teaching and Learning Across Canada - What’s Going On? - Article 9

Oct 15, 2026

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Post-secondary institutions, especially those focused on research, struggle to ensure consistent, high-quality teaching because many faculty members are trained in research rather than teaching. Centres for Teaching and Learning (CTLs) offer a common strategy. This qualitative study examines CTL directors at Canadian research and teaching-intensive institutions, using 60–90 minute semi-structured interviews and coding findings into four categories: evolving purposes, drivers of change, common challenges, and future trends.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages20

Reading Time50 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Background and Introduction

Literature Review

The Canadian Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning | Volume 9 | Issue 1 | Article 9 | | --- | --- | | April 2018
Centres for Teaching and Learning Across Canada: What’s Going On?
Sarah E. Forgie
University of Alberta, [sforgie@ualberta.ca](sforgie@ualberta.ca)[ ](sforgie@ualberta.ca)Olive Yonge
University of Alberta, [oyonge@ualberta.ca](oyonge@ualberta.ca)[ ](oyonge@ualberta.ca)Robert Luth
University of Alberta, [rluth@ualberta.ca](rluth@ualberta.ca)
Follow this and additional works at: [https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/cjsotl_rcacea](https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/cjsotl_rcacea)
Part of the Educational Leadership Commons, Higher Education Commons, and the Higher Education and Teaching Commons | | Recommended Citation Forgie, S. E., Yonge, O., & Luth, R. (2018). Centres for Teaching and Learning Across Canada: What’s Going On?. The Canadian Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 9 (1). Retrieved from [https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/cjsotl_rcacea/vol9/iss1/9](https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/cjsotl_rcacea/vol9/iss1/9) Centres for Teaching and Learning Across Canada: What’s Going On? Abstract Post-secondary institutions, especially those with a research focus, face a challenge in ensuring consistent and high-quality teaching, in part because many members of the teaching faculty have backgrounds in research instead of teaching. A common part of meeting this challenge is the presence of Centres for Teaching and Learning (CTLs) on university campuses. This study examines the situations ofCTL directors at research and teaching-intensive post-secondary institutions across Canada, with an aim to develop an understanding of the current context in which Canadian CTLs are operating, as well as the experiences of those who lead the CTLs. The qualitative study consisted primarily of 60-to 90-minute individual semi-structured interviews. The findings of these interviews were coded into four main categories: the evolving purpose ofCTLs, key drivers of change, common challenges, and future trends. The implications for this research are two shifts: one mirroring a shift in education development to embracing Boyer’s work and secondly moving from a service toa leadership orientation. A thriving CTL is an indication of a university culture that values teaching, learning and scholarship. Les établissements d’enseignement post-secondaire, en particulier ceux dans lesquels l’accent est mis sur la recherche, doivent faire face au défi d’assurer un enseignement cohérent et de haute qualité, en partie du fait qu’un grand nombre de professeurs ont des antécédents en recherche plutôt qu’en enseignement. Pour relever ce défi, un des éléments communs est la présence de centres d’enseignement et d’apprentissage (CEA) sur les campus universitaires. Cette étude examine la situation des directeurs de ces centres dans des établissements d’enseignement post-secondaire canadiens où la recherche et l’enseignement sont intenses, dans le but decomprendre le contexte actuel dans lequel les CEA canadiens fonctionnent, ainsi que les expériences de ceux qui dirigent ces CEA. L’étude qualitative a consisté principalement d’entrevues individuelles semi-structurées de 60 à 90 minutes. Les résultats de ces entrevues ont été codés selon quatre catégories principales : l’évolution de l’objectif des CEA, les principaux moteurs de changement, les défis communs et les tendances futures. Les implications de cette recherche sont de deux sortes : la première reflète les variations dans ledéveloppement de l’éducation afin d’adopter le travail de Boyer, et la seconde indique le passage d’une orientation de service à une orientation de leadership. Un CEA florissant est le signe d’une culture universitaire qui accorde de l’importance à l’enseignement, à l’apprentissage et à l’avancement des connaissances. Keywords centres for teaching and learning, post-secondary teaching, post-secondary education, educational development, university administration, univ

FAQs

What challenge do research-focused post-secondary institutions face regarding teaching quality?

They must ensure consistent, high-quality teaching despite many faculty backgrounds being in research rather than teaching.

What method did the study use to understand Canadian CTL directors’ experiences?

It used a generic qualitative approach with primarily 60–90 minute individual semi-structured interviews.

How were the interview findings organized in the study?

Findings were coded into four main categories: the evolving purpose of CTLs, key drivers of change, common challenges, and future trends.

Oct 15, 2026

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