The experience of faculty development: patterns of variation in conceptions of teaching

As research demands continue to weigh heavily on junior and non‐tenured faculty, the need to maintain and develop sound teaching is crucial. Yet few studies have systematically explored how a faculty development program (FDP) can impact the way that faculty experience or conceive of teaching. In this study, we examine how a year‐long FDP impacts the conceptions of teaching held by early‐career faculty. We interviewed 22 tenure‐track faculty participants, pre‐ and post‐program, categorizing their conceptions of teaching from the transcripts. The analysis drew on conceptual frameworks of faculty conceptions of teaching derived from phenomenographic literature increasingly used in Europe, Asia, and Australia, but not in the USA. The present study identifies and explores a range of patterns of experience that emerged over the course of an American FDP program. We discuss the broader implications of these patterns for the study and understanding of faculty development programs.