College classroom teaching—problems and procedures

A distinguished scientist once commented facetiously, would be a great university if it were not for the students. As this quotation indicates, college instruction is sometimes felt to be an academic chore, unworthy of the best efforts of a superior mind. An outstanding classroom teacher, consequently, many times receives less reward in money or in prestige than does a mediocre colleague who neglects his students in order to produce an ineffectual textbook or a statistical report that chiefly elaborates the obvious. (This statement is not intended as any disparagement of research, the life blood of scientific development, but merely as an illustration of the low relative value placed upon skill in teaching.) This lack of esteem for excellence in college teaching has prompted efforts to give more recognition to those who devote to their students the time and energy by which they might have won approval in writing or research. At a few colleges and universities, however, rewards either in money or in recognition have been given to outstanding classroom teachers. Such awards might become more numerous if there were more adequate measures of good teaching. College presidents and deans rarely visit a classroom and depend largely upon student gossip and personal impression in ranking teachers. Until teaching can be evaluated with some degree of objectivity, recognition for the competent teacher is likely to be personal rather than financial or professional. Meanwhile, as the Committee on American History in Schools and Colleges observed, Men who have no interest in or aptitude for teaching should not be allowed to blunt the interest or waste the time of college students. The improvement of present methods of college instruction depends upon the alteration of many background factors. At least six of these must be considered before any attempt can be made to select

Mathematics education · Pedagogy · Teaching method · Academic Freedom and Politics · Evaluation of Teaching Practices · Psychology