The Centre for Pedagogical Innovation is launching a survey to learn more about the teaching culture at Brock.

Released Monday, March 5, the Teaching Culture Perception Survey (TCPS) will ask the Brock community about its experiences with institutional teaching culture.

The survey was developed by a group of Canadian institutions interested in exploring the indicators of a teaching culture as part of the Institutional Teaching Culture Project. The project will investigate how teaching is supported, assessed and recognized by post-secondary institutions.

A university’s external reputation for teaching can be quite different from perceptions by those studying and working in the institution, says CPI Director and Brock research lead Jill Grose.

“Although teaching is done by individuals, the literature tells us that there are many institutional contexts and factors that can impact the teaching and learning environment,” she says.

An institution’s teaching culture is tied to student engagement and learning, instructor and learner experiences, and student persistence. As a result, the survey is open to staff and students as well as instructors.

Nine Canadian universities are participating in this research, which is spearheaded by the University of Windsor.

“Having such data can help us identify what is valued by the community, and help us to know how to strengthen institutional supports for teaching,” says Grose.

The TCPS is being sent to all Brock faculty, staff, instructors and graduate students. A random sample of 5,000 undergraduate students will also be invited to participate, with the potential of winning one of two $400 gift cards to the Pen Centre. Graduate students are also eligible for the draw.

The survey is anonymous and is being distributed through Brock email. Members of the Brock community are encouraged to check their emails and participate in this important research.

More information about the survey is available on the CPI website or by contacting teachingculture@brocku.ca. Further information about the Institutional Teaching Culture Project is available on the group’s website.