Faculty members' perceptions of how faculty development initiatives could contribute to developing their adaptive expertise

PurposeFaculty development should equip faculty members to navigate emerging challenges by cultivating adaptive expertise. While prior studies highlight the potential for such development, little is known about educational strategies or design principles that support it. This study explored faculty members' perspectives on how faculty development initiatives could foster adaptive expertise.MethodsWe conducted a descriptive qualitative study through semi-structured interviews with 25 faculty members. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed by means of inductive and deductive coding. Coding was guided by four a priori principles on the development of adaptive expertise, which we synthesized from existing literature.ResultsParticipants suggested that faculty development initiatives could support faculty members' adaptive expertise by (1) bridging educational theory and practice, (2) facilitating collaborative learning across diverse contexts, and (3) encouraging experimentation with teaching practices in safe settings. Central to these three findings was the value of reflection on 'the why' behind teaching practices. Additionally, certain enabling conditions, such as a safe culture, were deemed essential for effectively implementing these principles.ConclusionOur research shows that under certain conditions, faculty development initiatives could promote adaptive expertise by bridging theory and practice, fostering diverse collaborations, and encouraging safe experimentation, all grounded in a focus on understanding 'the why' behind teaching practices.