The reluctance of scientists to engage in peer review of teaching: Finding the way forward

Abstract

Over the last two decades universities globally have responded to a growing demand for higher education and hence the number and diversity of university students has increased dramatically (Bradley, Noonan, Nugent, & Scales, 2008; Universities Australia, 2013). At the same time publicly funded universities have faced decreasing budgets leading to radical changes in the delivery of education. There is an ever increasing push towards efficiencies through online learning and larger classes. Concomitantly governments have adopted a quality agenda in which universities are ranked against each other on the basis of teaching, leading to increased competition for recruiting quality students (TEQSA, 2011). As such considerable effort is being exerted by university managements and government agencies to define and measure quality teaching and learning standards (Coates, 2010; Kraus, Barrie, & Scott, 2012; Newton, 2002). However, as Newton points out, there are many interpretations of the meaning of quality, with academics and managers viewing the term differently.