Study On Peer Review Of Teaching In American Research Universities

Faculty teaching evaluation playing a “baton” role in faculty’s daily working.At present,there are problems in faculty teaching evaluation in Chinese research universities,including taking students as the absolute subject,ignoring the participation of multiple subjects;and taking management as the main purpose and neglecting teaching development of faculty.The implementation of systematic peer review of teaching is conducive to solving these problems.However,the peer review of teaching system in Chinese research universities not enough,and the result of the evaluation is limited in the contribution of personnel decision-making and faculty development.Therefore,the theory and practice exploration of peer review of teaching system construction is urgently for Chinese research university.Especially after the 1990 s,under the influence of scholarship of teaching and learning movement,the peer review of teaching system developed rapidly,and promoted the reform of faculty teaching evaluation in Canada,Australia and other countries.In the context of comprehensive reform of faculty teaching evaluation in Chinese research universities,this study combines comparative research,literature research,case analysis and historical research,systematically work through the historical development and practical operation of American research universities,then extract its idea and tries to provides useful enlightenment of Chinese research universities.Based on conceptual definition,this study provides theoretical explanations for the practices of peer review of teaching in American research universities.On the one hand,the fourth-generation evaluation theory leading the paradigm and function transformation of educational evaluation,which provides a rational basis for peer review of teaching.On the other hand,the scholarship of teaching and learning theory emphasizes teaching as the community property of the academic community,which provides a necessity basis of peer review of teaching.With the history combs,this study finds that the peer review of teaching in American research universities has gradually developed and presented distinctive characteristics under the effect of internal and external needs in different historical periods.Therefore,this study divides the development of the peer review of teaching in American research universities into three stages: the embryonic period,the start-up period and the booming period,and extracted its development logic and evolution rules.In order to deeply explore the operation of peer review of teaching in American research universities,six research universities were selected as analysis cases.This study analysis the practical operation of peer review of teaching in American research universities from five aspects: evaluation purpose,evaluation organization,evaluation content,evaluation methods and evaluation result,and outlines the operation of the peer review of teaching in American research universities.On the basis of theoretical analysis,historical research and case analysis,this study extracts the idea of peer review of teaching in American research universities.It’s focus on consultation and emphasizes rights and responsibilities coexist;lead the scholarship reconsidered,emphasizes teaching and research balance;pursuit of excellence,system and organization co-construction;focus on development,with equal emphasis on process and results.This study focuses on the practical difficulties of faculty teaching evaluation in Chinese research universities,draws on the idea and useful experience of American research universities in improving the peer review of teaching system,and proposes a Chinese mirror.China’s research universities should clear about the development-oriented purpose;innovative service-oriented organization;complete scholarship-oriented content;improve negotiation-oriented method;form feedback-oriented results of peer review of teaching.