Teaching for excellence: honors pedagogies revealed

Abstract

What are characteristics of honors pedagogies in higher education? What are the teaching strategies that are particularly relevant and successful for academically gifted and motivated students? In spite of the substantial body of literature about the practice of honors education, very little systematic and empirical research has been done about honors pedagogies. The spread of honors programs, designed for enhanced educational opportunities and outcomes, makes further research critical. The objective of this thesis was twofold. The first aim was to conceptualize and operationalize honors pedagogies using a dimensional approach. Thus, a theoretical and conceptual framework for honors pedagogies was developed. The second aim was to extend the state of knowledge on honors teaching by assessing this framework by means of empirical research. In this study, three different strands of academic work were explored: honors literature, publications about giftedness and studies about motivation, specifically self-determination theory. This literature survey brought to light three pillars of honors pedagogy: creating community, enhancing academic competence and offering freedom. This study points out the similar and different approaches and dispositions in American and Dutch honors teaching for academically gifted and motivated students. Have characteristic forms of teaching and learning been developed within honors that are similar from one honors teacher to the next and across institutions? The answer is yes. This study uses a mixed methodology, combining questionnaires among American and Dutch honors teachers and interviews with American honors teachers. To find out to what extent American and Dutch honors teachers have similar or different approaches and dispositions in their honors teaching a comparison was facilitated by the questionnaires. Given the longstanding honors tradition in the U.S.A., the interviews were conducted only with American teachers. Data collection in the U.S.A. took place in 2006 during the annual conference of the National Collegiate Honors Council. In all, 127 honors teachers filled in the questionnaire, and 30 interviews were conducted. In total at least 75 American higher educational institutions are represented. In the Netherlands, data collection took place in 2007: eleven research universities offered honors programs. All honors teachers (N = 768) involved received a digital questionnaire; 313 teachers returned it completed. Teachers make a clear distinction between honors teaching and regular teaching. They perceive the three approaches – creating community, enhancing academic competence and offering freedom – as the pillars of honors pedagogies. Teachers see offering freedom as important for honors classes while not for regular classes. Enhancing academic competence is important in honors and in regular education, however the way is different: In honors education, there is an emphasis on research activities and more interdisciplinary projects. The relevance of this study is twofold. First, research on honors education is limited with regard to systematically uncovering and describing honors pedagogies. That is why this inquiry has academic relevance. Secondly, this study serves a practical purpose. Honors education is spreading around the globe. This expansion has created a need for researched-based teaching approaches that may be used in honors faculty development.