Empiricism and the Art of Teaching Josef M. Broder* “Teaching is a messy, indeterminate, inscrutable, often intimidating, and highly uncertain task. ” Richard Elmore Introduction two-year AG TECH Program. I remember these students as being rather atypical college students by Effective teaching is a recurring topic of their willingness to express their opinions of faculty discussion and disagreement. The title of classroom affairs, In this particular class I had my address suggests that effective teaching has two assigned a term project. Students were asked to components. First and increasingly important, research a topic, write a report and make formal teaching has an empiricaJ component. The class presentations. These tasks proved rather empiricism of teaching asserts that there are difficult for one of my more outspoken students, identifiable traits of effective teaching that can be Tim, I believe was his name. At first he resisted used to improve one’s teaching experience. I want the assignment and later had a penchant of asking to share with you some insights we have gained some “off the wall” questions. I encouraged him from recent empiricaJ studies on teaching and the to do his best, despite my lack of teaching teaching evaluation process. Second, there is the art experience. The day came for Tim to give his of teaching or the intangible and creative component formal class presentation. A hectic day I recall. I of teaching. I will speak on how the art of teaching stayed late for one of my own classes and came ten can be refined. This I will do by way of offering minutes late for class. When I arrived, the class some personal teaching tips that have at least made was waiting patiently. Tim’s presentation was the my teaching experience more enjoyable, My last of four that day. Time expired and Tim’s presentation will proceed M follows. I will begin presentation had to be cut short. His presentation with one of my more disheartening experiences as was good, but the bell rang before class discussion. a graduate teaching assistant. Next, I will discuss I thought nothing more about it until I received my some basic assumptions about teaching at research end-of-term evaluations. My teacher ratings were institutions, Here, I discuss the unique role of good with one rather startling exception. One teaching, its critics, its limitations, and sources of student rated me poor on alt categories, and improvement. Next, I will review some of the provided one of the most discouraging assessments major findings of empirical studies. Last, I will of my teaching career. The evaluation read, offer personal and professional recommendations for teaching effectiveness, “This is the worst teacher I have On this reluctant occasion I am reminded ever had in my entire life. In of my early teaching experiences in graduate school. fact, this teacher is so bad 1 I volunteered to be a teaching assistant in a wouldn ’t even recommend him to marketing class for Michigan State University’s my dog!” *Josef M. Broder is professor, Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics, Umversity of Georgia, Athens. Presidential address to the Southern Agricultural Economics Association Meeturg, Nashville, Tennessee, Februaw 6- 9, 1994. The author would like to thank Bob Shulstad, Steve Turner, Fred Wh]te, Helen Fosgate, Ralph Christy, Oral Capps, and Sandra Batie for their helpful comments and suggestions. .J. Agr. and Applied &on. 26 (l), July, 1994: 1-18 Copyright 1993 Southern Agricultural Economics Association . L thder Elnpmcwn and t)le AM OJTeacking With these comments one wonders why I have agribusiness employers recruit from business spent the better part of my professional career in schools instead of from our department. teaching, Curiosity, embarrassment, guilt, frustration, or revenge, I am at a loss to say, I The documentation of teaching quality in rmvcr got to thank that particular student for his agricultwal economics departments is inadequate mslghts, It may not even have been Tim. Adversily for the promotion and tenure process at most is truly one of life’s greatest teachers, Today’s universities (Kahl and Williams). The problems presentation is motivated by the spirit of and limitations of documenting teaching quality in overcoming the frustrations of teaching. our departments result from the following. First, tcachmg performance receives much poorer Basic Assumptions About Instruction documentation than does research in promotion and tenure dosslcrs (Louis). Second, the process of The environment m which teaching is using student evahmtions for measuring teaching conducted at research r.tmversitics ignites the crmx performance is highly subjective and controversial of higher education and provides a setting for its (Machina). Third, the teaching evaltmtions used in limitations and source of improvement. Some basic agricultural economics and related departments are assumptions about this environment are presented. better suited for personnel decisions than for improving teaching performance of individual faculty members, Fourth, the methods and rigor Teaching is the only non-proprietary agricultural economists have applied to problems of activity of higher education, William Prokasy, our agriculture, food, and rcsourccs have not been Vice President for Academic Affairs, argues that applied to their teaching evaluation process. [post-secondary] teaching is the exclusive domain of universities and colleges. As monopolists, wc have Good classes are distinguished from poor done little to improve the quality of our teaching ones not by instructional magic, but by a set of product, Research and service activities are identifiable practices (Garvin, p. xxii). While the conducted by other public and private institutions. elements of good classes and good teaching cannot Because of competition from other institutions, we be completely codified, certain practices and have been far more aggressive and innovative in our techniques seem to be more effective than others. research and service activities than in our teaching Knowing how various techniques affect teaching aetlvmes. quality is the motivation for the empiricism of teaching. This assertion does not dismiss the artistic Public scrutiny of public institutions, in part of teaching, but suggests that the ant and general, and universities, in particular, has science of teaching are interdependent. intensi$ed. The assessment arena for higher education is no longer the exclusive domain of The Southern Agricultural Economics faculty members. The universities’ monopoly on Association (SAEA) should take an active role in teaching is being challenged. Here are some promoting teaching qua/ity. In recent years the examples. 1 worry when legislators learn that I’m SAEA has taken an active role in promoting in the classroom only two hours each day; when teaching quality. Yet, the proportion of the legislators oppose sabbatical leaves on the grounds Association’s resources devoted to teaching that the ~axpayer should not pay university faculty activities is small relative to faculty appointments in to take vacations; when Susie has to buy a section teaching. With the recent change in the name of enrollment card from another student to enroll in a our journal, the SA13A is in a unique position to required course; when Tim cotnplains about his take a more aggressive role in promotmg class of 300 students and his TA who has trouble professional dialogue on teaching. speaking English; when transfer students struggle through our basic courses, despite having had the The Origins of Poor Teaching prerequisites; when business schools don’t recognize agricultural economics courses as meeting Richard Elmore of Harvard’s Graduate the necessary business requirements; and when School of Education writes that universities seek J. Agr. and Applied Econ,, July, 1994 3 shelter from public scrutiny of teaching quality by changed. Universities have become big business. constructing the following defenses (p, x), Robert Hemenway, Chancellor of the University of Kentucky, has argued that modem research 1. Professors are hired to profess, not really universities are at risk of losing their intellectual, to teach. Unlike primary and secondary political, and moral authority. Increasingly, we school teachers, we are trained almost have to compete with pollsters, celebrities, and talk exclusively in subject matter and not show hosts in the intellectual marketplace. methods of teaching. Since we know so Politically, we compete with prisons and highways much, our task is to tell students every for public monies. Much of the public’s knowledge thing we know. Of course, we assume that of Universities is limited to football statistics. We students want to learn everything the lost the moral high ground when we purged our professor knows or has to say. studies of ethical and normative questions in the name of scientific rigor. The political correctness 2, College studenti are motivated more by a that has filled this moral void has garnered little desire to master the subject matter and support from the public. Universities have passed less by how the subject matter is into a new age of accountability, an agc in which presented. We assume that students who poor teaching cannot be defended. attend college are motivated by an appreciation and respect for knowledge. Measuring Teaching Quality? While bells and whistles are needed to motivate students in primary and secondary Despite a growing concern for teaching schools, our students are