Abstract:

University teaching in Brazil is a complex activity that demands specific didactic-pedagogical training, given the challenges arising, among other factors, from the absence of educational policies and legal support that legitimize preparation compatible with the complexity of teaching in higher education. In this context, Barão de Mauá University Center (CBM), a private higher education institution located in the countryside of the state of São Paulo, serving 4,350 students across 24 undergraduate programs and supported by a faculty of 303 professors, has developed a variety of initiatives to promote the continuous professional development of its instructors, aiming to improve pedagogical practices and strengthen the quality of the education offered. Recognizing the difficulties faced by professors without prior pedagogical training, CBM implemented, beginning in 2018, a set of faculty-development actions focused on innovation—particularly the Fórum de Inovação Docente (FID, Teaching Innovation Forum), designed to foster the sharing of successful and innovative teaching-learning experiences. The creation of the FID sought to establish what is known as a “community of practice” (COP), creating an environment for exchanging professional practices that stimulates the generation of new knowledge. This knowledge creation process follows the SECI model, representing the movement of dialectical reasoning through the alternation between tacit and explicit knowledge, as proposed by Takeuchi and Nonaka (2008). Grounded in the knowledge spiral developed by the same authors, the FID encourages peer learning: professors share innovative pedagogical practices during collective discussion and reflection sessions, grouped heterogeneously, presenting their experiences and results to colleagues who, in turn, ask questions and offer suggestions to improve the practice in future iterations. This peer exchange reduces resistance and fear, as participants learn about real experiences and challenges faced by colleagues working in the same educational context. This process has consolidated an institutional culture of pedagogical experimentation, continuous development, and cooperation. It has become common to see faculty members exchanging ideas and experiences in the teachers’ lounge. The FID ensures that active methodologies are not adopted as mere trends but rather as meaningful tools for learning and innovation. It thus seeks to inspire new methodological approaches and disseminate successful (or unsuccessful) practices, fostering idea exchange. The first edition of the FID had 10% faculty participation, reaching 50% in its most recent edition, demonstrating the positive impact of initiatives that promote pedagogical discussion within the institution. The results can be observed in the increase in innovative practices described in Student Learning Plans evaluated by the Internal Evaluation Committee (CPA), in the presentation of new experiences developed based on insights from previous editions of the FID, and in participant testimonials. These indicators demonstrate the strengthening of a continuous institutional development process supported by increasingly meaningful teaching practices, guided by measurable learning objectives aligned with each program’s Pedagogical Project and centered on student-focused methodologies. The success of the Forum has resulted in the publication of two books and conference proceedings.

Keywords:

University faculty development, institutional faculty development programs, higher education teaching.