Title: Rewarding teaching excellence in higher education: an analysis of an incentive program at a tier I research institute and a prescription for future teaching incentive programs

Authors: Michael D. Johnson; Arunachalam Narayanan; William J. Sawaya III

Addresses: Department of Engineering Technology and Industrial Distribution, Texas A&M University, 3367 TAMU, College Station, TX, USA ' Department of Decision and Information Sciences, University of Houston, 334 Melcher Hall, Houston, TX, USA ' Department of Management, Bowling Green State University, 3025 BAA, Bowling Green, OH, USA

Abstract: There is significant interest in promoting teaching effectiveness at colleges and universities. At Texas A&M University, the chancellor offered a voluntary cash-based teaching incentive program to faculty members teaching graduate and undergraduate courses. This program rewarded top teaching performers each semester based on student feedback of instructional quality. The program awarded cash rewards to 57 faculty members (out of 731 applicants) in the colleges of business and engineering over five semesters. This study examines the effectiveness of the award program on teaching and the effects of course and instructor characteristics. The instructor evaluation data for two years before the award was instituted, during its duration, and for a year after the award program ended was compiled and analysed. Results indicate that already high performing junior and non-tenure track faculty applied for and won the teaching awards. Also, the award program did not significantly change the teaching performance or grading outcome in the classroom. In spite of consistent participation from a wide range of faculty members, the program ended after five semesters. Insights from this incentive program inform a discussion of key attributes that should be part of a successful teaching incentive program in higher education.

Keywords: teaching incentives; human capital; student evaluation of teaching; SET; salary wage differentials.

DOI: 10.1504/IJPSPM.2021.114589

International Journal of Public Sector Performance Management, 2021 Vol.7 No.3, pp.314 - 336

Received: 28 Sep 2018
Accepted: 31 May 2019
Published online: 28 Apr 2021 *

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