Why choice of teaching method is essential to academic freedom: A dialogue with Finn

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlespeer-review

4 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The paper sets out a conceptual argument that the choice of teaching method is part of the freedom to teach in higher education. It enters into a dialogue with the views of Stephen Finn in a paper published in Teaching in Higher Education in which he argues that academic freedom should be limited in respect to teaching methods. The concept of pedagogic self-governance is linked to the importance of choice of teaching method and illustrated by reference to the history of the seminar and signature pedagogies. While Finn argues that not developing pedagogical skills is a breach of professional ethics it is contended that a failure to engage in research and enable students to critically evaluate the latest propositional and professional knowledge in a subject represents a much more serious issue. Copyright © 2021 The Author(s).
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)536-548
JournalTeaching in Higher Education
Volume29
Issue number2
Early online date17 Dec 2021
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2024

Citation

Macfarlane, B. (2024). Why choice of teaching method is essential to academic freedom: A dialogue with Finn. Teaching in Higher Education, 29(2), 536-548. https://doi.org/10.1080/13562517.2021.2007473

Keywords

  • Academic freedom
  • Freedom to teach
  • Pedagogic-self governance
  • Signature pedagogies
  • COVID-19

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Why choice of teaching method is essential to academic freedom: A dialogue with Finn'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.