Pathways in University Teaching in Computing: Understanding Experiences and Motivations
Abstract
In Brazilian universities, doctors and masters teach undergraduate, master's, and doctoral courses in Computing. However, some questions about the didactic-pedagogical training of these educators should be considered. In this paper, we explore the didactic-pedagogical training of nine faculty members from the Department of Computer Science at the Federal University of Bahia. Data were constructed through semi-structured interviews and analyzed with Thematic Analysis. Five central themes emerged from the data: participants' motivation to become university professors, the beginning of their teaching roles, adopted training strategies, teaching methods used, and the lack of involvement in pedagogical training programs. Our results indicated that some teachers perceive teaching as a secondary priority compared to research in their education and goal. Additionally, the need for more specific pedagogical training approaches in graduate programs in Computing is emphasized. This study contributes to an understanding of the intricacies involved in the training of university educators and emphasizes the need to achieve a balance between research and teaching in higher education in Computing. Furthermore, a prospective research agenda is also presented, highlighting areas for future investigations to promote the training of Computing educators.
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