Helping teachers to focus on learning and reflect on their teaching: What role does teaching context play?

•Pedagogic environment hinders transfer of knowledge from development programs.•Action research can empower university teachers to change their teaching.•This change includes becoming more learning-centered and reflective about teaching.•Progress is observable both in teachers’ conceptions and practice.•Desired change occurs even if teachers are constrained by their teaching context.

In this study we examine the factors that lead educational programs to achieve their outcomes, in this case helping participants to improve their teaching through becoming more learning-centered and reflective practitioners. In comparing the results from programs with similar aims with evidence from our program we find teachers’ pedagogic environment to play a critical role in influencing transfer of program knowledge into participants’ teaching. A synthesis of results from our and other programs suggests that engaging participants in action research can be an effective way to help participants to overcome barriers in their pedagogic context. Systematic support of participants through coaching appears as another element important for participants’ success. These tools can help to enhance both participants’ thinking about teaching and their daily pedagogic practice.