UBC runs the Teaching Practices Survey approximately every four years to better understand how faculty and others with teaching responsibilities structure learning for students. The survey also offers an opportunity for those who participate to provide confidential feedback on their perceptions of the teaching climate at UBC. Results from the survey are used to inform strategic priorities, continual improvement processes, and service offerings, as well as to assess change that could be attributed to institutional initiatives and other forces such as the Covid-19 pandemic.
How was the Teaching Practices Survey developed?
The Teaching Practices Survey was developed by the Centre for Teaching, Learning and Technology (UBCV), the Science Centre for Teaching and Learning (UBCV), and the Centre for Teaching and Learning (UBCO) in collaboration with, the Equity and Inclusion Office, Wellbeing Advisory Committee, CTLT Indigenous Initiatives, Office of Indigenous Strategic Initiatives, Open UBC, and other units. The survey has been reviewed by survey methodologists and validated by faculty across UBC. The survey has also been vetted by UBCV Associate Deans Academic and Students and the UBCO Teaching and Learning Advisory Committee.
How many people participated in past surveys? Where can I find out more about past surveys?
Over 650 faculty participated in the 2018 survey. This represents a 19% response rate. In 2014, over 1,000 faculty participated in the survey resulting in a 24% response rate. The distribution of responses in both 2014 and 2018 mirrored actual UBC appointments. This allowed us to have a strong degree of confidence in the survey findings.
Has this been reviewed by UBC’s Behavioural Research Ethics Board?
Yes. View approval documents for the 2023 survey below:
How is privacy protected for this survey? Is it possible to link my responses back to me?
Only the Principal Investigator has access to the raw survey data and has removed instances of self-disclosure and identifying references before sharing the data with the larger research team. The questionnaire asks very limited personal data (rank/tenure and years teaching in higher education). None of these questions are required.
No analysis or reporting of data is done for any group with fewer than five responses. The faculty-specific reports provided to Associate Deans and the campus/institutional reports provided to UBC leadership will include only aggregate data, along with anonymous, representative quotes from open-ended questions. At no point will individual responses, except anonymous or anonymized quotes, be made available outside the research team.
How is this survey different from the Workplace Experiences Survey?
The Workplace Experiences Survey seeks to understand both faculty and staff experiences of UBC as a workplace. The Teaching Practices Survey focuses specifically on teaching and, as such, only surveys faculty and others with teaching responsibilities. The Teaching Practices Survey asks questions about how learning is structured at UBC, perceptions of specific teaching practices, and perceptions related to how teaching is valued at various levels. While there are connections to the Workplace Experiences Survey, as well as the Undergraduate Experience Survey, the focus is very different.
Do other universities conduct surveys like this?
Student experience surveys, such as the UBC Undergraduate Experience Survey, are widespread across North America. However, universities are increasingly seeking to compare students’ feedback with information regarding how faculty and others with teaching responsibilities structure learning experiences. In 2016, UBC ran the Teaching Practices Survey to collect similar data for interested Universitas 21 institutions. Derivations of the Teaching Practices Survey have also been run by a number of Bay View Alliance member institutions.
