Quality teaching is critical in the academic environment, with increasing pressure to develop metrics and quality assurance systems. A culture with improved teaching quality is likely to improve student learning (Cox, McIntosh, Reason & Terenzini, 2011), but in order to better understand the influence of culture on teaching, we need specific measurable indicators. Eight Ontario institutions received funding from a Productivity and Innovation Fund grant through the Ontario Ministry of Colleges and Universities, and developed a set of Institutional Teaching Culture Perception Surveys (ITCPS) to explore factors that indicate a culture that promotes quality teaching in higher education (Hénard & Roseveare, 2012). The surveys were based on a framework of 6 levers.

The surveys were piloted, and focus groups were run at three institutions – Windsor, Western, and McMaster. Students, faculty and administrators shared their perception of the quality teaching culture based on their personal experience and knowledge.

The surveys were then adapted based on the focus group feedback. Using a SSHRC Insight Development Grant, the adapted surveys were distributed across two phases at six institutions- Waterloo, Queens and Calgary for the first phase and Western, Windsor and Brock for the second phase. The results of the second phase can be found in the Institutional Teaching Culture Perception Surveys 2018 Preliminary Report for the Research Ethics Board.

Using an Educational Developers Caucus (EDC) grant, a repository of effective practices was developed. Over the years, the team has developed additional tools and techniques, including a set of unit-level surveys, a reflective tool, and a methodology for analyzing institutional strategic documents. Visit the Publications, Presentations, and Awards page for all publications and the Resources page for all project resources. While our project is ever-evolving, you can download a copy of our Project Timelineupdated as of February 2024.