Abstract:

The Senior University Teaching Qualification (SUTQ) is an educational development program designed for experienced educators to acquire advanced teaching skills. The SUTQ has been adopted by most universities in The Netherlands. It has been built on the nationally recognized University Teaching Qualification programme (UTQ) for starting educators as part of a Continuous Professional Development (CPD) strategy.

For different reasons, universities apply different approaches to set up their SUTQ trajectory:
- A traditional guided course-based program in which participants acquire knowledge and skills relevant to their level.
- A portfolio-based trajectory is free-format in which participants independently work on evidencing their impact on education.
- A project-based trajectory in which participants identify an educational challenge, find ways to investigate and tackle that challenge and be pro-active to implement a solution for it.

In this paper we will describe TU Delft’s choice of a project-based trajectory and argue why and how it motivates participants who need to experiment, innovate, develop and collaborate. Motivating participants in staff development programmes is essential and at the same time quite a challenge.

While developing our SUTQ trajectory, we have aligned its design with principles from Self Determination Theory (SDT), a psychological framework emphasizing the pivotal role of autonomy, competence, and relatedness in promoting intrinsic motivation and optimal learning outcomes.

This paper highlights practical applications of SDT principles within our SUTQ framework. Strategies for fostering autonomy (i.e. the need to feel self-governing and independent) include empowering educators to take ownership of their professional development journey. The trajectory offers personalized learning pathways, by i.e. setting up their own project, choosing relevant theoretical input and defining their own outcomes and assessment criteria. It also encourages reflective practices by filling out reflection forms and having sessions with a personal coach.

Emphasizing competence (i.e. the need to be effective in dealing with the environment) involves providing relevant input and feedback, acknowledging accomplishments by trainers, coaches and peer group members, and promoting mastery experiences while coaching junior colleagues. Additionally, the paper discusses how creating a supportive and collaborative environment contributes to a sense of relatedness among educators (i.e. the need to feel connected to others), by i.e. forming peer groups, going on a study trip and connecting to other teaching staff, thus fostering a community of practice within the SUTQ programme.

In our paper, we will share insights into how a focus on autonomy, competence, and relatedness enhances the motivation and satisfaction of senior teaching staff. And as a result, how it impacts the overall quality of education at TU Delft.

Keywords:

Education, staff development, motivation.