New lecturer development programmes: a case study of Scottish higher education institutions

This article examines key issues in lecturer development programmes (LDPs) in Scottish higher education institutions, within the context of the national standards established recently for those who teach in United Kingdom higher education (HE). Many of the LDPs were developed in response to the Dearing Committee recommendations that university lecturers should receive training in teaching and learning and that this should be delivered through accredited programmes. The article presents four different programme models that emerged within the sector in terms of programme structure and delivery, participant support and institutional factors, and explains the wide variety of provision in terms of cultural factors and the nature of the national framework for HE teacher development. The article will be of interest to those who are involved in the policy and practice of lecturer development, in the challenges posed in the implementation of LDPs and the future of such initiatives. Although the research was carried out in Scotland, consultation with educational developers in England revealed similar trends there. Given similar lecturer development initiatives in other countries (e.g. Sweden, Norway and Australia), the application of the research goes beyond the geographical area described.