Recognised university teacher

At the first tier of the university’s model for recognition of educational qualifications is the ‘recognised university teacher’, and this page is intended to be a support for those who wish to submit an application to be admitted as a recognised university teacher. Below you will find information about what an application should contain, and you will also get tips on what to consider when formulating your reasoning.

To be eligible for a review with the aim of being appointed as a recognised university teacher, the following requirements apply:

you are employed until further notice as a teacher at Örebro University,
you have spent at least five years teaching within higher education,
you have spent at least 3,000 clock hours teaching within higher education,
you have completed 10 weeks of qualifying courses in higher education pedagogy, or your pedagogical qualifications and experience have been deemed equivalent to 10 weeks of qualifying courses in higher education pedagogy, and
a joint recommendation of your application for appointment as a recognised university teacher has been issued by the head of division and head of school.

If you have completed all or some of the qualifying courses in higher education pedagogy or have had an equivalence assessment of your pedagogical qualifications and experience done at a higher education other than Örebro University, you need to attach certificates to verify this.

The concept of teaching includes various types of learning activities (such as lectures, seminars, laboratory work, and supervision) and other teaching-related activities (such as planning, assessment, and course coordination) at the first, second and third cycle. If time has been allocated specifically for pedagogical preparation and follow-up by multiplying the assigned clock hours for different learning activities with a conversion factor, all hours should count as teaching time.

If you have met the requirements above, you can submit your application.

The application form has three main sections: Pedagogical approach, Teaching expertise and skills, and Ability for pedagogical reflection. Together with your annexes, the information you enter in these sections provides the basis for the external expert’s assessment. In a fourth section, we ask you to account for the literature or other references used in the application form, and in a fifth section we ask you to list the annexes referred to in your application. Keep it short and concise.

In the section Pedagogical approach, provide a brief account of your teaching, your teaching outlook, and your approach to Örebro University’s educational philosophy and vision for education. This will enable the external expert to form an opinion of how you view yourself as a teacher at Örebro University and in your subject. Some questions to bear in mind as you outline your discussion are:

What do I teach? What characterises me as a teacher? What is my teaching outlook?
What parts of the university’s educational philosophy and vision for education do I believe are particularly important and urgent for a recognised university teacher to focus on? Why?
What challenges can I identify in realising this philosophy and vision? How would I as a recognised university teacher want to address these challenges?

In the section Teaching expertise and skills, provide a discussion based on the following criterion:

The teacher excels in their relationship with their students and is very skilled at translating their pedagogical approach into learning activities and examinations, supporting students’ learning, and adapting teaching to different conditions.

In the application form, explain in what way you translate your pedagogical approach into learning activities and examinations, in what way you support students’ learning and adapt your teaching to different conditions, and what the outcome is. Provide annexes that verify your teaching expertise and skills and attest to you meeting this criterion. Where relevant, refer to your annexes in the text.

Some questions to bear in mind as you outline your discussion are:

In what way do I teach? Why do I design my teaching the way I do?
How does my pedagogical approach impact learning activities and examinations? What is the outcome?
How do I support my students’ learning and adapt teaching to different conditions? What challenges do I meet and how do I address them?

You can show that you meet this criterion, for instance, by demonstrating that you use a wide range of learning activities and modes of assessment that develop students’ knowledge and abilities, or that you support students’ learning by offering constructive and continuous feedback. Your discussion may also revolve around you creating and adapting learning activities and modes of assessment for different student groups and based on given frameworks, or you designing teaching materials that stimulate student learning. Naturally, there are also other ways to show that you meet this criterion. Regardless of what you choose to highlight, it is important that you verify your teaching expertise and skills by attaching relevant documentation.

Examples of documents that may attest to you meeting this criterion are:

teaching plans, examination assignments and course guides that you have produced,
teaching materials you have produced,
compilations of course evaluations submitted by your students,
nominations for teaching awards submitted by your students, and
written statements from your managers or colleagues about your teaching expertise and skills.

In the section Ability for pedagogical reflection, provide a discussion based on the following criterion:

The teacher systematically reflects on their teaching and their students’ learning, grounding their reflection in higher education pedagogy or subject didactics research, and develops their learning activities and examinations based on their insights.

In the application form, explain in what way you use higher education pedagogy or subject didactics research when you systematically reflect on your teaching and in what way you develop learning activities and examinations based on your insights. Provide annexes that verify your ability for pedagogical reflection and attest to you meeting this criterion. Where relevant, refer to your annexes in the text.

Some questions to bear in mind as you outline your discussion are:

How do I ensure that I systematically reflect on my teaching and on students’ learning?
How do I draw on higher education pedagogy or subject didactics research when reflecting on teaching and learning?
How do I use my insights as a basis for new or further developed learning activities and modes of assessment?

You can show that you meet this criterion, for instance, by demonstrating that you analyse, evaluate and develop course content, learning activities and modes of assessment in dialogue with colleagues and students, or identify problems and challenges in your teaching and take action to address and solve them. Your discussion may also revolve around you undergoing continuous skills enhancement and professional development within pedagogy and drawing inspiration from higher education pedagogy or subject didactics research with the aim of altering, innovating, and improving your teaching. Naturally, there are also other ways to show that you meet this criterion. Regardless of what you choose to highlight, it is important that you verify your ability for pedagogical reflection by attaching relevant documentation.

Examples of documents that may attest to you meeting this criterion are:

reports on pedagogical development projects you have managed or contributed to,
teaching portfolios or other texts that you have written reflecting on higher education pedagogy,
analyses of course evaluations submitted by your students,
teaching plans and examination assignments that you have designed, and
written statements from your managers or colleagues about your ability for pedagogical reflection.

Attached to your application for appointment as a recognised university teacher should be a teaching portfolio with information that may be required for the external expert to be able to follow your discussion on your scholarship of teaching and learning. The portfolio in itself is not a basis for assessment but provides the expert with context and can also provide a starting point for your discussion on your pedagogical approach and work as a teacher.

The portfolio may contain quantitative details of your higher education pedagogy training, your experience of teaching at different levels (first, second and third cycle), and your experience of pedagogical development work and pedagogical leadership (course coordinator, programme coordinator, head of division, and other leadership roles within education). To the portfolio, you can also add participation in conferences on pedagogy and publication of texts on pedagogy. Teaching awards and prizes can also be listed in the portfolio.

Attached to your application should also be a joint recommendation of the application from your head of division and head of school. It must verify

that you have spent at least five years teaching within higher education,
that you have spent at least 3,000 clock hours teaching within higher education,
that your teaching experience is broad and includes various types of learning activities and modes of assessment,
that you excel in your pedagogical activities and in relation to students, colleagues, and administration,
that Örebro Student Union or the student section in question has been approached to obtain students’ opinions on your expertise and skills as a teacher, and
that the division and school support your appointment as a recognised university teacher.