This paper explores how motivational theories can be utilised to direct impactful conversations for the support of teaching excellence awards (TEAs). The purpose of applying a motivational lens to TEA conversations is to foster positive motivational conditions for award applicants. Outlining this conversational method may inform future research…

Recognition of teaching excellence has become a global trend in higher education as various schemes and awards are established as a way to assure stakeholders of the quality of teaching in universities. At present, there is a lack of research into what teaching excellence means from an institutional perspective. This study explores the…

Teaching excellence in higher education can be defined and studied in different ways, but research efforts to date have often focused on institutional or instructor perspectives. This article uses a data set of over 500 open-ended comments submitted by Political Science undergraduates as part of a teaching award process to identify themes that…

The Society for the Teaching of Psychology (STP, Division 2 of the American Psychological Association) established its Excellence in Teaching Awards program in 1979. This article explores the history of STP's teaching awards program: the establishment of the first four awards categories, the Committee on Teaching Awards, the awards' endowment…

Despite acknowledging issues of inequity within science education, practices, standards, and reform-guiding documents like the "Next Generation Science Standards" (NGSS) still fall short in actions that result in substantive and sustained progress in achieving their expressed goals and expectations. Issues of inequity in science…

Administrators are viewed as the leaders in higher education. However, accepting exceptional educators as relational leaders is vital as changes in higher education demand institutions provide value and quality to their stakeholders. Exceptional educators at our land-grant Midwestern university are nominated and awarded the title of Morrill…

Many universities and professional associations recognize excellence in teaching with awards; however, research findings on the impact of an award on teaching identity are mixed. The objective of this study was to qualify the impact of receiving a National or Regional United States Department of Agriculture Teaching, Extension, and Research Award…

The purpose of this sequential explanatory mixed methods study was to determine what are America's award-winning teachers' use of educational technology best practices. This study used a survey, the "LoTi Digital Age Survey for Teachers" (referred to in this study as the LoTi survey), to quantify Teachers of the Years' (TOYs')…

Extensive sorting of high-performing teachers into the most advantaged schools contributes to the wide socioeconomic achievement gaps in many countries. The Chilean Pedagogical Excellence Assignment (AEP) pays bonuses to high-performing teachers that are larger if they work at a disadvantaged school. Using a sharp regression discontinuity based on…

The Teacher of the Year (TOY) program is the longest-standing teacher recognition program in the United States. The purpose of this study is to describe the characteristics of state and national TOY awardees and the schools in which they teach. To accomplish this aim, we develop a new data set including the characteristics of all TOY awardees and…

Although there is no agreed definition of teaching excellence, 'excellent teaching' is an accepted notion. However, recent discussion about the recognition of quality teaching and the rise of standards frameworks has challenged the notion of teaching excellence as rewarded in teaching excellence schemes. It has raised questions about how we…

Quality Teaching (QT) is a sought-after professional goal for educators and schools alike. It is easy to observe, harder to define, and hardest to understand how to achieve. This study attempted to identify QT amongst a select group (N = 6) of Boston-area award-winning high school chemistry teachers. Participants were selected based on having…

Achieving quality in higher education is a complex task involving the interrelationship of many factors. The influence of the teacher is well established and has led to some general principles of good teaching. However, less is known about the extent that specific disciplines influence quality teaching. The purposes of the paper are to investigate…

This research explores student voice and student perceptions of teaching excellence in higher education, and authors suggest implications for student engagement and student/staff partnerships in teaching and learning. Edinburgh University Students' Association facilitates the longest-running student-led teaching awards in the UK, receiving…

This study contributes to global debates around defining and measuring teacher effectiveness by examining teaching quality in Colombia. We used data collected by Fundación Compartir (FC), a Colombian NGO that for 20 years has awarded annual prizes to the 'best teachers' in the country. We used mixed-methods procedures to examine those teaching…