A Framework for Teaching Development at a Specialized Graduate Institution

The path for faculty advancement and self-improvement is often uncertain in higher education. Even in the health professions, where we diligently prepare graduate students for clinical roles, our pathways for new faculty transitioning from clinical to teaching roles are often nebulous. This article describes the process that the MGH Institute of Health Professions undertook in developing a set of Faculty Development Domains to guide graduate health professions faculty as they progress through their teaching careers. The aim was to provide faculty with a framework for guidance and self-assessment to identify areas for improvement that align with institutional priorities and that will elevate their teaching and professional roles. This process of developing the framework, which included a review of the literature, iterative revisions, and faculty focus groups, ultimately yielded four comprehensive domains that encompass "good teaching": planning and preparation, classroom environment, instruction, and professional responsibilities.