FAIRFIELD, Conn.—Nearly fifty faculty members at Sacred Heart University are participating in a faculty peer coaching program to strengthen their instructional practices, improve student learning, develop professional relationships and learn from colleagues across the University.
The program, run by the SHU Center for Teaching & Learning, pairs full-time faculty members for reciprocal, confidential classroom observations. Through pre- and post-observation discussions, they receive feedback to improve their teaching practices. They also meet in cohorts to hone their coaching skills and discuss effective teaching strategies. Since the endeavor began in 2020, 87 instructors—approximately 24% of SHU’s full-time faculty—have participated.
David Title, clinical associate professor in the educational & literacy leadership department, and Kristin Rainville, literacy program director, co-facilitate the program. They started the initiative when they realized they and their colleagues wanted extra support to improve their instructional practices.
“The basic theory is that if we want to improve student learning, we can do that by improving faculty members’ instructional practices,” said Title. “In the College of Education & Human Development, we are all trained teachers and have had formal training in how to design and execute lessons, but many of our colleagues have not had that training.”
Faculty pairings
Each faculty member is paired with someone from another department. The pairings are based on several criteria: how long they have been at the University and in higher education; where they are located on campus; why they are participating in the program; and in which department or college they teach.
“These are two equal colleagues with different experiences, preparation and fields of study, coming together to learn from each other,” said Rainville. “We are purposeful about the interdisciplinary partnerships, so the participants are not focused on content: they are really focused on instruction and how students are engaging with it.”
Once faculty members are paired, they observe each other in the classroom. Next, all the program participants break into smaller cohorts to debrief about what they learned during their observations. A second round of observations follows, and then a debrief takes place at the end of the fall semester. Lastly, Title and Rainville arrange a workshop each February based on a common theme raised during the program. The process then starts again in the spring.
Jonix Owino, assistant professor in the psychology department, has participated in faculty peer coaching since her second semester teaching at the University. The opportunity to meet other faculty and hear about their experiences is what piqued her interest.
“This experience is very unique to Sacred Heart. Allowing yourself to have somebody observe you and to be open to that discussion is very important,” said Owino. “It has helped me to grow the things that I have done in the classroom, and as long as I am teaching, I feel that it is important to continuously learn new things.”
New to this year’s program is a cohort specifically focused on diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) in the classroom. T. Lee Morgan, a peer coaching participant and director of inclusive excellence, co-facilitates this cohort. Full-time faculty who join the group open-ended conversations about establishing more inclusive and equitable teaching practices. The cohort is an important addition to the peer coaching program because DEIB is a University priority.
“I have 70 students and I was having a hard time seeing the whole classroom. So, I asked my peer coach to come in, recognize this and help me to plan problem solving strategies,” said Romney. “This has helped me to become much more purposeful with planning breaks and having an engaging activity.”
Romney took the opportunity to become a co-facilitator of a cohort because of the parallels between her research in engagement and behavior changes, and the program’s purpose of changing teaching behaviors. In her role as co-facilitator, she gets groups of participants together to discuss what is going on in their classrooms so that they can offer advice to each other.
Many benefits
Sacred Heart’s Center for Teaching & Learning (CTL) provides financial and administrative support for the peer coaching. Elizabeth Luoma, CTL director, said she has seen faculty improve teaching strategies after participating in the program.
“Faculty peer coaching is one of the many teaching development opportunities available through the CTL,” said Luoma. “Faculty members who participate often comment on the benefits they receive from the program, including learning about effective instructional practices, having time to reflect on their teaching and discovering opportunities to connect with faculty from across the institution.”
Title and Rainville have several publications based on this work including a co-authored a book on faculty peer coaching with Cynthia G. Desrochers, professor emeritus of elementary education at California State University Northridge. The book, Faculty Peer Coaching in Higher Education: Partnerships to Support Improved Instructional Practices, reflects on how such programs impact professors. It can be purchased on Amazon. Their edited book, Faculty Peer Coaching in Higher Education: Opportunities, Explorations, and Research From the Field includes 20 chapters that explore peer coaching. It can also be purchased on Amazon.
About Sacred Heart University
As the second-largest independent Catholic university in New England, and one of the fastest-growing private doctoral institutions in the U.S., Sacred Heart University is a national leader in shaping higher education for the 21st century. SHU offers nearly 90 undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and certificate programs on its Fairfield, Conn., campus. Sacred Heart also has a campus in Dingle, Ireland, and offers online programs. More than 10,000 students attend the University’s nine colleges and schools: Arts & Sciences; Communication, Media & the Arts; Social Work; Computer Science & Engineering; Health Professions; the Isabelle Farrington College of Education & Human Development; the Jack Welch College of Business & Technology; the Dr. Susan L. Davis, R.N., & Richard J. Henley College of Nursing; and St. Vincent’s College. Sacred Heart stands out from other Catholic institutions as it was established and led by laity. The contemporary Catholic university is rooted in the rich Catholic intellectual tradition and the liberal arts, and at the same time cultivates students to be forward thinkers who enact change—in their own lives, professions and in their communities. The Princeton Review includes SHU in its Best 389 Colleges: 2024 Edition, and Best Business Schools: 2023 Edition. Sacred Heart is home to the award-winning, NPR-affiliate station, WSHU Public Radio, a Division I athletics program and an impressive performing arts program that includes choir, band, dance and theatre. www.sacredheart.edu