Good Teachers, Scholarly Teachers and Teachers Engaged in Scholarship of Teaching and Learning: A Case Study from McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada

Oct 15, 2026

This paper defines and operationalizes key constructs of good teaching, scholarly teaching, and the scholarship of teaching and learning to measure their characteristics among undergraduate instructors at McMaster University. In 2007, 2,496 instructors (including part-time) were surveyed and 339 responses were returned. The study develops indices for all three constructs and finds strong correlations: good teaching with scholarly teaching, and scholarly teaching with the scholarship of teaching and learning. Perceived value of teaching varies by faculty, and new and scholarly-engaged instructors view teaching as more valued than peers.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages29

Reading Time1 h 13 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Study purpose and definitions

Survey design and sample

Indices and findings

Perceived teaching value and comparisons

The Canadian Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning | Volume 2 | Issue 1 | Article 2 | | --- | --- | | 9-7-2011
Good Teachers, Scholarly Teachers and Teachers Engaged in Scholarship of Teaching and Learning: A Case Study from McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada
Susan Vajoczki
McMaster University, [vajoczki@mcmaster.ca](vajoczki@mcmaster.ca)
Philip Savage
McMaster University, [savagep@mcmaster.ca](savagep@mcmaster.ca)
Lynn Martin
McMaster University, [martl@mcmaster.ca](martl@mcmaster.ca)
Paola Borin
Ryerson University, [borin@ryerson.ca](borin@ryerson.ca)
Erika D.H. Kustra
University of Windsor, [kustraed@uwindsor.ca](kustraed@uwindsor.ca)
Follow this and additional works at: [http://ir.lib.uwo.ca/cjsotl_rcacea](http://ir.lib.uwo.ca/cjsotl_rcacea)
[http://dx.doi.org/10.5206/cjsotl-rcacea.2011.1.2](http://dx.doi.org/10.5206/cjsotl-rcacea.2011.1.2) | | Recommended Citation Vajoczki, Susan; Savage, Philip; Martin, Lynn; Borin, Paola; and Kustra, Erika D.H. (2011) "Good Teachers, Scholarly Teachers and Teachers Engaged in Scholarship of Teaching and Learning: A Case Study from McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada," The Canadian Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning: Vol. 2: Iss. 1, Article 2. DOI: [http://dx.doi.org/10.5206/cjsotl-rcacea.2011.1.2](http://dx.doi.org/10.5206/cjsotl-rcacea.2011.1.2) Available at: [http://ir.lib.uwo.ca/cjsotl_rcacea/vol2/iss1/2](http://ir.lib.uwo.ca/cjsotl_rcacea/vol2/iss1/2) Good Teachers, Scholarly Teachers and Teachers Engaged in Scholarship of Teaching and Learning: A Case Study from McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada Abstract This paper defines and operationalizes definitions of good teaching, scholarly teaching and the scholarship of teaching and learning in order to measure characteristics of these definitions amongst undergraduate instructors at McMaster University. A total of 2496 instructors, including all part-time instructors, were surveyed in 2007. A total of 339 surveys were returned. Indices of good teaching, scholarly teaching and scholarship of teaching and learning were developed. The data illustrated a strong correlation between good teaching and scholarly teaching and between scholarly teaching and scholarship of teaching and learning. The perceived value placed upon teaching varied across the different Faculties. New instructors and those engaged in scholarly teaching and scholarship of teaching and learning perceived teaching to be more valued than their peers. Le présent article définit et opérationnalise les définitions d’enseignement efficace[1], d’enseignement érudit[2] et de la publication sur l'enseignement supérieur [3] afin de mesurer les caractéristiques de cesdéfinitions chez les enseignants de premier cycle de l’Université McMaster. Au total, 2 496 enseignants, ycompris tous ceux qui travaillent à temps partiel, ont été sondés en 2007 et 339 questionnaires ont été retournés. Les chercheurs ont élaboré des indices d’un bon enseignement, d’un très bon enseignement et d’un excellent enseignement. Les données illustrent une forte corrélation entre un bon enseignement et un très bonenseignement, de même qu’entre un très bon enseignement et un excellent enseignement. Lavaleur perçue accordée à l’enseignement variait selon les différentes facultés. Les nouveaux enseignants pratiquant un très bon enseignement et un excellent enseignement trouvaient l’enseignement plus utile que leurs pairs. [1] good teaching,[2] scholarly teaching,[3] scholarship of teaching and learning Keywords good teaching, scholarly teaching, scholarship of teaching and learning, teaching practices, teaching value Cover Page Footnote The authors are grateful for the contributions ofa number of individuals to this project: Dale Roy provided insightful comments during the development of the research questions; Wayne Cai provided technical support for the implementation of the survey tool; Faria Sana prov

FAQs

What constructs does the paper define and operationalize?

It defines and operationalizes good teaching, scholarly teaching, and the scholarship of teaching and learning so their characteristics can be measured among undergraduate instructors.

How was the study conducted and what was the response rate?

A survey of 2,496 undergraduate instructors (including part-time) was completed at McMaster University in 2007, with 339 surveys returned.

What relationships did the data show among the three constructs?

The data showed strong correlations between good teaching and scholarly teaching, and between scholarly teaching and the scholarship of teaching and learning.

How did perceived value placed on teaching differ across groups?

Perceived teaching value varied across faculties, and new instructors and those engaged in scholarly teaching and the scholarship of teaching and learning perceived teaching to be more valued than their peers.

Oct 15, 2026

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