Abstract
University faculty in Southeast Asia (SEA) is being required to take on new roles and responsibilities resulting from rapid changes in higher education. To date, a range of faculty development (FD) initiatives has been implemented, but little has been uncovered concerning the effectiveness of these FD activities. Using a predetermined review protocol, we conducted a systematic literature review to identify the current foci and trends of faculty development in SEA higher education. We found that Vietnam, Singapore, and Malaysia were the leading providers of empirical evidence about FD activities. Teacher education and training were found to rank first among the disciplines that performed FD. This aligns with results of the focus and type of FD which primarily concerned improvement of pedagogical competence and self-directed learning. In addition, the findings suggested that most FD outcomes were found to be predominantly at levels 1 and 2 of Kirkpatrick’s taxonomy (adapted from Hendricson et al. in J Dent Educ 71(12):1513–1533, 2007). Based on this review, we offered relevant recommendations for FD practice and research in this region.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Note: References marked with an asterisk indicate studies included in this study
*Amin, Z., Khoo, H. E., Chong, Y. S., Tan, C. H., Goh, P. S., Samarasekera, D. D., & Koh, D. R. (2009). A multi-institutional survey on faculty development needs, priorities and preferences in medical education in an Asian medical school. Medical Education Online, 14(1), 1–6. doi:10.3885/meo.2009.Res00317.
*Amin, Z., Khoo, H. E., Gwee, M., Tan, C. H., & Koh, D. R. (2006). Addressing the needs and priorities of medical teachers through a collaborative intensive faculty development programme. Medical Teacher, 28(1), 85–88.
Austin, A. E., & Sorcinelli, M. D. (2013). The future of faculty development: Where are we going? New Directions for Teaching and Learning, 133, 85–97. doi:10.1002/tl.20048.
Asian Development Bank. (2011). Improving instructional quality—Focus on faculty development. Retrieved January 6, 2014, from http://www.adb.org/publications/series/higher-education-dynamic-asia-study-reports
Bearman, M., Smith, C. D., Carbone, A., Slade, S., Baik, C., Hughes-Warrington, M., & Neumann, D. L. (2012). Systematic review methodology in higher education. Higher Education Research and Development, 31(5), 625–640. doi:10.1080/07294360.2012.702735.
Bland, C. J., Schmitz, C., Stritter, F., Henry, R., & Aluise, J. (1990). Successful faculty in academic medicine: Essential skills and how to acquire them. New York: Springer.
Bligh, J. (2005). Faculty development. Medical Education, 39(2), 120–121.
Bovornsiri, V. (2006). Higher education in Southeast Asia: Thailand. Higher education in South-East Asia. Asia-Pacific programme of educational innovation for development, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (pp. 193–218). UNESCO Bangkok: Bangkok, Thailand.
Caffarella, R. S., & Zinn, L. F. (1999). Professional development for faculty: A conceptual framework of barriers and supports. Innovative Higher Education, 23(4), 241–254.
Campbell Collaboration. (2013). Retrieved November 2, 2013, from http://www.campbellcollaboration.org/what_is_a_systematic_review/index.php
Chapman, D. W. (2009). Higher education faculty in East Asia. Minneapolis, MN: Department of Organizational Leadership, Policy, and Development, University of Minnesota.
Chism, N. V. N., Gosling, D., & Sorcinelli, M. D. (2010). International faculty development: Pursuing our work with colleagues around the world. In K. J. Gillespie, D. L. Robertson, & Associates (Eds.), A guide to faculty development (2nd ed., pp. 243–258). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
*Churchill, D. (2006). Teachers’ private theories and their design of technology-based learning. British Journal of Educational Technology, 37(4), 559–576.
Declaration of ASEAN Concord II. (2003). Retrieved September 10, 2014, from http://www.asean.org/news/item/declaration-of-asean-concord-ii-bali-concord-ii
*Dinh, H. T. B. (2009). Factors influencing EFL novice teachers’ adoption of technologies in classroom practice. In CamTESOL conference on English language teaching: Selected papers (vol. 5). Retrieved June 15, 2013, from http://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED523092
*Dixon, K., & Scott, S. (2003). The evaluation of an offshore professional-development programme as part of a university’s strategic plan: A case study approach. Quality in Higher Education, 9(3), 287–294.
EPPI-Centre. (2009). Retrieved May 2, 2013, from http://eppi.ioe.ac.uk/cms/
Gaff, J. G., & Simpson, R. D. (1994). Faculty development in the United States. Innovative Higher Education, 18(3), 167–176.
Gough, D. (2007). Weight of evidence: A framework for the appraisal of the quality and relevance of evidence. Research Papers in Education, 22(2), 213–228. doi:10.1080/02671520701296189.
Gough, D., Oliver, S., & Thomas, J. (2013). Learning from research: Systematic reviews for informing policy decisions. A quick guide. Retrieved November 2, 2013, from http://www.alliance4usefulevidence.org/assets/Learning-from-Research-A4UE.pdf
Hassan, S. U., Haddawy, P., Kuinkel, P., Degelsegger, A., & Blasy, C. (2012). A bibliometric study of research activity in ASEAN related to the EU in FP7 priority areas. Scientometrics, 91(3), 1035–1051.
Hawkins, J. N. (2012). Education in the Asia-Pacific region: Some enduring challenges. In R. F. Arnove, C. A. Torres, & S. Franz (Eds.), Comparative education: The dialectic of the global and the local (pp. 341–368). Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.
Hendricson, W. D., Anderson, E., Andrieu, S. C., Chadwick, D. G., Cole, J. R., George, M. C., & Young, S. K. (2007). Does faculty development enhance teaching effectiveness? Journal of Dental Education, 71(12), 1513–1533.
Holton, E. F, III. (1996). The flawed four-level evaluation model. Human Resource Development Quarterly, 7(1), 5–21.
Hubbard, G. T., & Atkins, S. S. (1995). The professor as a person: The role of faculty well-being in faculty development. Innovative Higher Education, 20(2), 117–128.
*Hussin, H., Bunyarit, F., & Hussein, R. (2009). Instructional design and e-learning. Campus-Wide Information Systems, 26(1), 4–19. doi:10.1108/10650740910921537.
*Laws, K., Harbon, L., Nguyen, N., & Trinh, L. (2009). Professional development of teacher educators: A cross border story. Australian Teacher Education Association. Retrieved May 2, 2013, from http://search.proquest.com/docview/964171327?accountid=7082
Lee, M. N., & Healy, S. (2006). Higher education in Southeast Asia: An overview. Higher education in South-East Asia. Asia-Pacific programme of educational innovation for development, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (pp. 1–12). UNESCO Bangkok: Bangkok, Thailand.
*Luu, T. T. (2012). Course book appraisal: Case of Hung Vuong University. Asian Social Science, 8(3), 192–207. doi:10.5539/ass.v8n3p192.
*Maitaouthong, T., Tuamsuk, K., & Techamanee, Y. (2010). Development of the instructional model by integrating information literacy in the class learning and teaching processes. Education for Information, 28(2), 137–150.
*Malik, A. S., & Malik, R. H. (2004). Core curriculum and special study modules at the faculty of medicine and health sciences, University Malaysia Sarawak. Education for Health: Change in Learning and Practice, 17(3), 292–302.
*Marwan, A., & Sweeney, T. (2010). Teachers’ perceptions of educational technology integration in an Indonesian polytechnic. Asia Pacific Journal of Education, 30(4), 463–476.
*Miliszewska, I., & Sztendur, E. M. (2011). Critical success attributes of transnational IT education programmes: The client perspective. Journal of Information Technology Education, 10, 123–137.
*Nayan, S., Shafie, L. A., Mansor, M., Maesin, A., & Osman, N. (2010). The practice of collaborative learning among lecturers in Malaysia. Management Science and Engineering, 4(2), 115–123.
Ngo, D. D. (2006). Higher education in Southeast Asia: An overview. Higher education in South-East Asia. Asia-Pacific programme of educational innovation for development, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (pp. 219–250). UNESCO Bangkok: Bangkok, Thailand.
*Nguyen, A. T. (2009). The role of regional organizations in East Asian regional cooperation and integration in the field of higher education. Asian Regional Integration Review, 1, 69–82.
Nguyen, T. L. H. (2012). Identifying the training needs of heads of department in a newly established university in Vietnam. Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management, 34(3), 309–321.
*Peeraer, J., & Van Petegem, P. (2011). ICT in teacher education in an emerging developing country: Vietnam’s baseline situation at the start of ‘The year of ICT’. Computers & Education, 56(4), 974–982.
*Peeraer, J., & Van Petegem, P. (2012). The limits of programmed professional development on integration of information and communication technology in education. Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 28(6), 1039–1056.
Pham, T. N. (2010). The higher education reform agenda: A vision for 2020. In G. Harman, M. Hayden, & T. N. Pham (Eds.), Reforming higher education in Vietnam: challenges and priorities (pp. 51–64). Dondrecht, The Netherland: Springer. doi:10.1007/978-90-481-3694-0.
Postiglione, G. A., & Chapman, D. W. (2011). Asia’s experience of border crossing: Assessing the future prospects. In D. W. Chapman, W. K. Cummings, & G. A. Postiglione (Eds.), Crossing borders in East Asian higher education (pp. 377–382). Hong Kong: Springer. doi:10.1007/978-94-007-0446-6.
*Power, J. B. (2012). Towards a greater understanding of the effectiveness of reflective journals in a university language program. Reflective Practice, 13(5), 637–649.
PRISMA. (2009). Flow diagram. Retrieved January 20, 2014, from http://www.prisma-statement.org/statement.htm
*Quigley, C., Oliviera, A. W., Curry, A., & Buck, G. (2011). Issues and techniques in translating scientific terms from English to Khmer for a university-level text in Cambodia. Language, Culture and Curriculum, 24(2), 159–177.
*Ramayah, T., Yeap, J., & Ignatius, J. (2013). An empirical inquiry on knowledge sharing among academicians in higher learning institutions. Minerva: A Review of Science, Learning & Policy, 51(2), 131–154.
*Richardson, J. W. (2011). Challenges of adopting the use of technology in less developed countries: The case of Cambodia. Comparative Education Review, 55(1), 8–29.
*Saito, E., Harun, I., Kuboki, I., & Tachibana, H. (2006). Indonesian lesson study in practice: Case study of Indonesian mathematics and science teacher education project. Journal of In-service Education, 32(2), 171–184.
*Saito, E., Hawe, P., Hadiprawiroc, S., & Empedhe, S. (2008). Initiating education reform through lesson study at a university in Indonesia. Educational Action Research, 16(3), 391–406.
Saito, E., Imansyah, H., Kubok, I., & Hendayana, S. (2007). A study of the partnership between schools and universities to improve science and mathematics education in Indonesia. International Journal of Educational Development, 27(2), 194–204.
*Saud, U., & Johnston, M. (2006). Cross-cultural influences on teacher education reform: Reflections on implementing the integrated curriculum in Indonesia. Journal of Education for Teaching, 32(1), 3–20.
Sirat, M. (2006). Higher education in Southeast Asia: Malaysia. Higher education in South-East Asia. Asia-Pacific programme of educational innovation for development, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (pp. 100–136). UNESCO Bangkok: Bangkok, Thailand.
Sirat, M., Azman, N., & Bakar, A. A. (2014). Towards harmonization of higher education in Southeast Asia. Retrieved May 6, 2014, from http://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/globalhighered/towards-harmonization-higher-education-southeast-asia#sthash.XPotapAU.dpbs
Sirat, M., & JanTan, M. (2008). Harmonization of higher education. Raising awareness: Exploring the ideas of creating higher education common space in Southeast Asia. Retrieved February 15, 2014, from http://www.rihed.seameo.org/wp-content/uploads/other_reports/Raising_awareness_SEA-HE_common_space_Feb2009.pdf
*Sookaneknun, P., Suttajit, S., Ploylearmsang, C., Kanjanasilp, J., & Maleewong, U. (2009). Health promotion integrated into a Thai PharmD curriculum to improve pharmacy practice skills. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 73(5), 1–9.
Sorinola, O. S., & Thistlethwaite, J. (2013). A systematic review of faculty development activities in family medicine. Medical Teacher, 35(7), 1309–1318. doi:10.3109/0142159X.2013.770132.
Steinert, Y. (2000). Faculty development in the new millennium: Key challenges and future directions. Medical Teacher, 22(1), 44–50.
Steinert, Y., Mann, K., Centeno, A., Dolmans, D., Spencer, J., Gelula, M., & Prideaux, D. (2006). A systematic review of faculty development initiatives designed to improve teaching effectiveness in medical education: BEME guide no. 8. Medical Teacher, 28(6), 497–526.
Sugimura, M. (2012). Possibility of East Asian integration through the regional networks and universities’ cooperation in higher education. Asian Education and Development Studies, 1(1), 85–95.
*Teerajarmorn, J., Jamornmann, U., & Rowlinson, P. (2003). The development of a methodology for scoring university instructors’ performance: A case study involving two Thai universities. Quality in Higher Education, 9(1), 55–68.
Van der Velde, P., & Stokhof, W. (2002). Building an ASEM Research Platform. Südostasien aktuell, (Special), 32–35.
*Vo, L. T., & Nguyen, H. T. M. (2010). Critical friends group for EFL teacher professional development. ELT Journal: English Language Teachers Journal, 64(2), 205–213.
World Bank. (2008). Vietnam: Higher education and skills for growth. Retrieved January 12, 2014, from http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2008/06/10988339/vietnam-higher-education-skills-growth.
*Yeo, R. K. (2006). Learning institution to learning organization: Kudos to reflective practitioners. Journal of European Industrial Training, 30(5), 396–419.
*Yeo, R. K. (2009). Service quality ideals in a competitive tertiary environment. International Journal of Educational Research, 48(1), 62–76. doi:10.1016/j.ijer.2009.03.004.
*Yusof, Y. (2010). The development of instructional module of hybrid approach using collaborative and metacognitive (HybCoMet) strategy as an alternative approach to help improving generic skills among students in Malaysian polytechnics. Journal of College Teaching and Learning, 7(5), 5–12.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Phuong, T.T., Duong, H.B. & McLean, G.N. Faculty development in Southeast Asian higher education: a review of literature. Asia Pacific Educ. Rev. 16, 107–117 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12564-015-9353-1
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12564-015-9353-1