The Research On The Young Faculty Instructional Development Of American University

Entering the21st century,"how to improve the quality of teaching" has become the general subject and huge challenges which the current higher education around the world is facing. Improving the university teaching and teaching quality, the most fundamental measures are to promote the faculty instructional development. As the new force of university teaching and the main force of the faculty instructional development, how to develop the young faculty instructional development become the main aspects of principal contradiction which improve the teaching quality of higher education, and become the key problem which urgently has to be solved in colleges and universities around the world. The faculty instructional development of American university started earlier and matures relatively, and the theoretical research and practical operation are more representative, advanced and typical. And it has been formed a relatively successful model and experience which promote the faculty instructional development, has a great value of research and reference.This paper attempts to study the young faculty instructional development of American University with literature method, history method, comparative method and case method, and makes learning and teaching research center of the University of Michigan as a case to expand specific interpretation. The paper is divided into the following seven parts:The introduction, mainly clarifies five important concepts of the university, faculty, young faculty, faculty development and the faculty instructional development. Meanwhile, it also reorganizes the concepts, contents and types of the faculty instructional development from1960s or1970s till now in a historical perspective.Chapter one, historical process of the faculty instructional development of American university, mainly summaries the changing process of the faculty instructional development of American University by dividing it into five stages which are sprouting, starting, transformation, prosperity and the new era. And this chapter has a research on the social backgrounds, main goals, developing types and typical characters of American university teachers’ teaching in these five stages. Chapter two, theory research on the faculty instructional development of American university, mainly summaries theoretical supports of the faculty instructional development, including adult learning theory, adult developing theory, the faculty instructional development paradigm theory, teaching academic theory, learning organization theory and career management theory, which are giving theoretical support for the young faculty instructional development.Chapter three, basic framework of the young faculty instructional development of American university, mainly summaries institutes, goals, contents and strategies, and makes a further analysis of the young faculty instructional development of American university.Chapter four, analysis the case of the young faculty instructional development of UM, mainly analyzes Learning and Teaching Research Center of UM by introducing organizations and missions, funds and awards, projects and service, unique skills (theater project) and characters of the young faculty instructional development, on which basis to analyze how to put the young faculty instructional development of American university into effect.Chapter five, evaluation on the young faculty instructional development of American university, mainly summaries the successful experiences of the young faculty instructional development of American university.Chapter six, conclusion.