RepGrid: a new way of identifying and assessing teaching competency

Abstract

PurposeThis study illustrates the use of the repertory grid in identifying and assessing effective teaching competencies.Design/methodology/approachThe data were collected from two subsamples that consist of business management students and engineering students. The systematic repertory grid (RepGrid) method was performed to identify broad effective teaching competencies.FindingsBroad effective teaching competencies found in the study include teaching approach, behavioral orientation, subject expertise, and communication skills among others.Research limitations/implicationsInterestingly, the responses of the subsamples differ in the competencies identified and the weights assigned to a particular competency. Further, the results indicate the importance of having a “context” and thereby challenge the concept of generic teaching competencies.Practical implicationsThe universities are encouraged to use RepGrid technique to assess effective teaching competencies of their faculty members.Originality/valueThe techniques for developing teaching competency models by some prior studies have several inherent flaws including the efficiency and effectiveness of data collection. The study takes forward the suggestions of scholars to use a rigorous technique, repertory grid, to overcome several of these flaws to a large extent.