Faculty Development and new faculty: a longitudinal study at the University of Trento

Abstract

This study analyses the Faculty Development (FD) programme for newly hired teachers at the University of Trento, developed by the FormId (Teaching & Learning Centre). The main objective of the programme is to enhance teaching skills focusing on instructional design, teaching methodologies and assessment methods, supporting incoming teachers in their professional development (Bruschi, 2021, Coggi, 2019) The research adopts Stes' (2010) evaluation model to examine the impact of the three editions of the programme, considering four dimensions: participant satisfaction, learning, behavioural change and organisational transformation.

The longitudinal design integrates satisfaction questionnaires, analysis of syllabi and authentic tasks developed by participants during the programme, follow-up questionnaires to detect behavioural changes, and qualitative interviews to explore teachers' experiences and motivations in requesting additional support. Preliminary results show positive reactions, an improvement in programme quality and a significant increase in the adoption of interactive teaching methodologies. 30 interviews were conducted and 93.3% of the participants reported changes in their teaching practices. Among the transversal pedagogical elements, the one most changed regards the  syllabi (43.32%) From the point of view of teaching implementations, the behavioral architecture was implemented the most (59.10%). The emerging evidence could help shape future institutional strategies, contributing to the evolution of the programme and the enhancement of faculty professional development.