The aim of the doctoral dissertation was to deepen our understanding of different sociocultural aspects supporting teaching and pedagogical development within the pedagogical communities of higher education. The thesis consists of three studies, which emphasise the importance of observing opportunities for support beyond the work and development of individual teachers, focusing more on the pedagogical development of communities. The dissertation approaches teaching and pedagogical development from a sociocultural research perspective.

The three sub-studies take different approaches to studying support opportunities for teaching and pedagogical development in higher education. Study I explored sociocultural elements in the community that are seen to foster teachers’ opportunities for teaching and pedagogical development. The study was based on thematic semi-structured interviews with university teachers (N = 51). Study II used quantitative questionnaire data to explore important factors connected to educational developers’ (N = 100) teaching-related perceptions that may influence the ways they promote the quality of teaching and learning in their communities. Study III utilised answers to open-ended questions in a questionnaire (n = 32) and workshop discussion to (N = 7) to explore educational developers’ conceptions of a sense community from the perspective of pedagogical development.

The sub-studies had different emphases in terms of theoretical, methodological, and practical implications. Study I indicated the importance of a pedagogical culture that fosters sharing through community attitudes and values, principles and norms, and practices and structures. Based on the findings, it was seen that in order to support teaching and pedagogical development, it is important to establish a culture of sharing through different elements, such as sharing the community’s values, sharing a common understanding of the teaching goals, and sharing everyday experiences and ideas with colleagues through systematic practices in the community. Study I increased the theoretical understanding of sociocultural aspects influencing support opportunities for teaching and pedagogical development. Although the inductive analysis of large amounts of interview data showed connections to previous theories, the study deepened the theoretical understanding of the subject matter in the context of Finnish higher education. The recognition of the elements that are important within the specific context makes it easier to promote the elements in practice.

The educational developers in Study II had different perceptions of teaching approaches, which were related to their teaching-related self-efficacy beliefs, experiences of collegial support for teaching development, and experiences of the relevance of teaching. The study indicated, for instance, that collegial support is important for the employment of interactive approaches to teaching. Thus, the study recognised the importance of different teaching-related perceptions among educational developers, whose own teaching-related perceptions had not previously been the subject of much study. The study emphasises that it is important to pay attention to the different theory-based elements that contribute to the work of educational developers as this group of professionals has a central role in the enhancement of learning and teaching in higher education communities. For instance, these elements should be considered in the development opportunities of this group of professionals, as the elements are seen as reflecting on their role in the pedagogical development work in the community.

Study III showed that the conceptions of a sense of community among educational developers entailed an interplay of individual and community factors, involving both the individual agency and social responsibility of community members as well as factors related to the socio-cultural context. Particular emphasis was placed on the potential for community members to experience a sense of belonging in their work community. The sense of community was seen as a positive factor in—or even a vital condition of—the pedagogical development of the community. Study III took a conceptual approach and deepened the conceptual clarity of the sense of community in the context of higher education teaching and pedagogical development. The findings reinforce the importance of systematic action in strengthening the sense of community within higher education communities. Higher education institutions may support their communities through the increased conceptual understanding of community, both as an enabler of pedagogical development and as a meaningful value in itself.
Without conscious consideration, it can be difficult to become aware of the different aspects influencing teaching and pedagogical development opportunities in the community. This dissertation has aimed to explore these sometimes invisible matters in a systematic way in order to deepen our understanding of the meaningful aspects. The three sub-studies showed the importance of sociocultural elements in teaching and pedagogical development in higher education. Thus, the dissertation suggests that these elements should be acknowledged and taken into account when providing support opportunities for higher education pedagogical communities. Ultimately, the aim is to enhance the quality of teaching and learning in higher education through the identification of a supportive pedagogical culture for teaching.