Postsecondary Faculty Professional Development Approaches: A Systematic Review on Characteristics and Impacts

• In Event: Faculty Development Practice

Abstract

Postsecondary faculty members require continuous learning to adapt to the ever-evolving academic landscape; thus institutions worldwide have been implementing various Professional Development (PD) programs to enhance teaching effectiveness, stimulate innovative research, and ultimately improve student outcomes. Adopting the theoretical framework of Self-Determination Theory, this mixed-method systematic review aims to investigate the characteristics and effectiveness of PD programs in different postsecondary training contexts, with a particular focus on how those programs impact faculty’s motivation. This review followed PRISMA guidelines and involved a thorough search process across multiple databases. The results show that faculty PD programs, mainly conducted in the United States, effectively improved teaching self-efficacy, research competency, and equity engagement, emphasizing a need for tailored and community-focused PD initiatives.

Authors

• Meiting Chen, McGill University

• So Yeon Lee, The University of Alabama at Birmingham

• Yixian Huang, University of Texas at Austin

• Johanna Maria Ott, University of Augsburg

• Martin Daumiller, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich