The Enquiring University Teacher

The Enquiring University Teacher is an engaging account of an approach to professional development in which one's own teaching is an exciting field of enquiry. It emphasizes the intrinsic interest of learning about university teaching with colleagues who bring their insights from different subject backgrounds and thereby provide a richer understanding of teaching and learning processes. The book explores the nature of the university teacher's enquiry: a form of professional learning which is both collaborative and personally reflective. It involves questioning personal and intellectual values and placing these at the centre of university teaching.

The book is deeply thoughtful yet accessible to academics from all disciplines who may have no specialist educational background. While it is suitable for the relatively new, as well as the more experienced university teacher, it encompasses a view of teaching and learning that challenges many common conceptions about university teaching and its relationship to disciplinary research.

After graduating in Philosophy and Engineering, Stephen Rowland taught in primary schools and, since 1985, at the University of Sheffield. In 1991 he developed a programme on learning and teaching for university staff that attracts international interest. He now directs the Higher Education Research Centre at the University of Sheffield. His earlier books include The Enquiring Classroom and The Enquiring Tutor.