Academics'' Educational Beliefs and Teaching Practices

This thesis arose from the author''s extensive professional practice as a staff developer and learning adviser at the University of Queensland, where she saw striking differences in the ways in which academics and students conceptualise teaching and learning. The two main aims of the research were to understand how academics conceptualise teaching and to find whether their beliefs influence their teaching and assessment practice. The approach was based on interviewing and questioning academic teachers working in a variety of disciplines, including Architecture, Education, Nursing, Psychology, Physiotherapy, Engineering, Chemistry, Physiology and Entomology. The understanding emerging from this research will benefit academics by enhancing their understanding of teaching and assessment and improving their practice.