3. Evolving Expectations for Teaching in Higher Education in Canada

Abstract

Although many Canadian universities offer graduate level training or certificates on teaching in higher education, there is no national framework of expectations or provision for national certification of post-secondary teachers. There are models of post-secondary teaching expectations in the United Kingdom and in elementary and secondary systems in both the US and Canada. In addition, many US universities have competency-based graduate teaching assistant programs. The province of Ontario has adopted a mandatory framework of learning expectations for Baccalaureate and graduate degrees for all publicly funded universities. The question we address in this essay is: Has our teacher training practice evolved to the point where we should look ahead to consider formalizing expectations of effective post-secondary teaching practices through a national framework? In our view, there is now sufficient interest within the Society for Teaching and Learning Higher Education (STLHE) to establish a working group that would initiate a national consultation to discuss the process and structure for formulating an enabling framework.