Affective development in university education

Abstract

There seems to be an increasing requirement for university courses and programs to develop students’ affective qualities (beliefs, values, dispositions and attitudes). This study explored the ways academics determined what the desirable qualities were for their particular disciplines and the pedagogical strategies and approaches they used to develop them. The participants were able to articulate certain beliefs, values and attitudes that were central to their discipline, although they appeared to be assumed and somewhat tacit in nature. The teaching and assessing of affective qualities was seen as problematic by the participants in the study owing to inadequate policy structures of the University, but the data revealed some practical teaching approaches. It was clear from this initial study that there is still a great deal of research and scholarship required in this area.