15. Conditions of Employment
15.4. The Increasing Diversity of Teachers
Much has been said in this book about the increasing diversity of students, and the implications for teaching. We should add to that the increasing diversity of teachers:
- Fully tenured, research-focused faculty, with very high academic qualifications but relatively little or no training in teaching.
- Contract adjunct or sessional instructors highly qualified academically, but with little or no chance of professional development in the teaching area.
- Teaching assistants, with mid-level academic qualifications and little or no training in teaching.
- Work-experienced vocational and technical instructors, with a small amount of training in teaching.
- School teachers, well trained in general teaching methods, but few with training specifically for teaching in a digital age.
The reasons for and the significance of this increasing diversity of teachers and instructors is beyond the scope of this book. Nevertheless, without some kind of job security there is little opportunity or incentive for training in new technologies and teaching methods.