‘Once upon a TEF….’: uncovering staff and student insights into teaching excellence with higher education

Situated within global policy discourses that are increasingly driven by market and prestige cultures (Stevenson et al, 2017) the Higher Education sector is being fundamentally reshaped. Hull likens the current trajectory of the sector towards ‘Uberfication’ (2015). Student satisfaction is utilised as a key indicator of teaching excellence globally across Higher Education but is this really the most appropriate measurement of quality? Consider Higher Education institutions as constructed environments in which students are active participants; engaged in experiences that develop their knowledge, criticality, independence and intellect. Those experiences may be designed and constructed by tutors to challenge and introduce new ideas to their students and realized through innovative teaching strategies which may not always be comfortable for students (Yorke, 2009). The resulting negative impact on student perceptions of their learning may be reflected in experience evaluations, impacting institutional ratings and prestige. This paper will provide an overview of the author’s current Doctor of Education study. Informed by participatory action research methods, it aims to develop a deeper understanding of student and staff perceptions of teaching excellence within Art and Design Higher Education. Can these insights into excellence inform the mechanisms of learning and become catalysts for change across the sector?