Abstract:

Universities across the globe are increasingly pressed to find ways of proving their worth not only in the preparation of students, but also how they are linked to business and industry. A number of factors have brought quality teaching to the forefront of higher education policies. Current factors influencing the quality of teaching include: the internationalisation of higher education, the increasingly broadening scope of education and greater diversity of student profiles, the rapid changes in technology, which can quickly make programme content, the demand for greater civic engagement of graduates and regional development of higher education, the increased pressures of global competition, economic efficiency and the need to produce a skilled workforce to meet the challenges of the 21st century and others.

This paper demonstrates that quality teaching is a multi-level endeavour taking place at three inter-dependent levels: at the institution-wide level, at the programme level and at the individual level. At the same time quality teaching is the use of pedagogical techniques to produce learning outcomes for students. It involves several dimensions, including the effective design of curriculum and course content, a variety of learning contexts (including guided independent study, project-based learning, collaborative learning, experimentation, etc.), soliciting and using feedback, and effective assessment of learning outcomes. It also involves well-adapted learning environments and student support services. The authors describe these factors through the eyes of teachers, students and HEI authorities. This approach was chosen in order to examine how the intended HEI and teacher policies of education systems are actually perceived and implemented in institutions and classrooms, recognising that the best intentions will only yield results if effectively and consistently implemented in the frontline. To establish a robust statistical picture, around 200 teachers and students were randomly selected in several Russian universities to participate in the survey. In each university, one questionnaire was selected to be randomly filled in by the HEI authorities, students and teachers. The results were analyzed and used by the authors to introduce an upgraded model of effective teaching and learning environment for Russian HEIs.

Keywords:

Quality teaching, teaching and learning environment, teaching quality model, internationalisation, innovative pedagogical techniques.