The analysis, evaluation and comparison of learning and teaching centers in American, European, Asian-Pacific and Turkish universities

Scientific, social, cultural and economic changes on a global scale affect the purposes and activities of universities in the fields of education, research and community service. There are various academic units, institutes and centers in universities for the realization of these purposes and activities. One of these centers is learning and teaching centers established to meet the learning and teaching needs in higher education. The first learning and teaching center was established in the United States of America in 1962, at the University of Michigan. The centers carry out activities with the aim of providing professional and professional development opportunities for academic staff, contributing to academic and personal development for students, and promoting good practices in education for other stakeholders of higher education. The aim of this research is to analyze, evaluate and compare the structural and functional characteristics of learning and teaching centers in American, European, Asian-Pacific and Turkish universities. For this aim, the characteristics of the establishment, goals, activities, personnel, management and financing dimensions of learning and teaching centers were determined and a comparison was made between regions in the context of these dimensions. Learning and teaching centers in universities abroad and in our country aim to ensure that the quality of education, research and community service activities of universities reach certain standards. The analysis of the features of the centers is important since it will provide data for universities in Turkey where there are newly established centers and researchers who will work on this topic. This research as the first comprehensive study concerning the learning and teaching centers in the Turkish literature offers suggestions for improving the centers in Turkey on the context of aims and functions. This research, designed in the descriptive model, is a qualitative research using document analysis method. The research is a comparative educational research based on the horizontal approach in terms of revealing the similar and different aspects of the learning and teaching centers in America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Turkish universities and examining the relationship between these aspects. In the study, the documents about 37 learning and teaching centers in American, European, Asian-Pacific and Turkish universities. These documents are information published on the official websites of learning and teaching centers, scientific research and publications, guides, annual reports, strategic plans, establishment documents, quality assessment criteria, online platforms and regulations. Criterion sampling, one of the purposeful sampling methods, was used in sampling. The data collection tool is the "Table Used in the Collection and Analysis of Data Regarding the Dimensions of Learning and Teaching Centers" developed by the researcher. The data in the tables created for each center in the sample were analyzed using the document analysis method. Themes, sub-themes and codes were created by coding the data. The frequencies were determined and the digitization of the data was applied. Analysis results are presented in tables containing themes, sub-themes, codes and frequencies, and charts containing ratios. Qualitative research principles determined by Heale and Twycross (2015) and Yıldırım and Şimşek (2016) were taken into consideration in the validity and reliability studies of the study. In validity of the research ensuring credibility and transferability with the scope, structure and criterion, in reliability of the research ensuring consistency and verifiability internal consistency, determination and consistency principles were checked. According to the findings obtained in line with the first sub-purpose of the study, the first learning and teaching center was established in 1962 in the University of Michigan in the United States. The centers, continued to be established after 1960 at universities in the United States with a growing number, were started to be established in Asia-Pacific in 1980 and in Europe and Turkey in 2000s. The number of centers has increased over the last fifty years in the areas covered by the research. The centers at universities in Turkey, compared with America, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region, has been established in few and later date. Developing learning and teaching culture in universities in the context of excellence and innovation, providing cooperation and communication for the dissemination of good practices, conducting data-based applications in the development, implementation and evaluation of educational programs are among the prominent missions of learning and teaching centers. According to the findings obtained in line with the second sub-purpose of the study, the aims of the learning and teaching centers were grouped under six themes: teaching staff, research, students, quality, curriculum, communication and cooperation. The objectives of improving teaching skills and providing professional development and counseling for teaching staff are at the forefront. Conducting and supporting educational researches for research, creating quality education environments and increasing success for students are among the aims of the centers. Under the theme of quality, the objectives of increasing the quality of education, training and research and developing innovation at the university, which has been emphasized in recent years, are emphasized. Developing and evaluating curriculum and providing communication / cooperation inside and outside the institution are other prominent goals in the centers. In learning and teaching centers located in universities in America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, the themes in the aims are similar and there are goals related to each theme. However, in learning and teaching centers in Turkey, three themes, teaching staff, students and quality, are determined. According to the findings obtained in line with the third sub-purpose of the study, the activities of learning and teaching centers are grouped under three themes: activities for teaching staff, students and social partners. Activities for developing professional skills for teaching staff, contributing to academic and personal development for students, and sharing good practices for social partners come to the fore in the centers. In the learning and teaching centers in universities in America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, the themes related to the activities are similar and there are activities related to three themes. Activities for teaching staff and students in Turkey were found to be in the center. According to the findings reached in line with the fourth sub-objective of the study, full-time and non-full-time personnel were employed in learning and teaching centers in universities in all regions. Specialist, technical and administrative personnel are employed at the centers on a full-time basis. Volunteer and part-time employees and advisory boards are non-full-time staff in the centers. According to the findings reached in line with the fifth sub-purpose of the research, a full-time director is responsible for the management of the center in all learning and teaching centers. At the administrative level, the centers are responsible to the highest administrative unit of the university (president or rector). Financial resources of centers are the resource allocated from the central budget of the university, the revenues and donations obtained by the center. In Turkish universities, the centers do not earn income and accept donations. In line with these findings, learning and teaching centers, which carry out activities aimed at ensuring the professional development of teaching staff, creating qualified educational environments, increasing student success, conducting educational research and spreading good practices in order to contribute to the realization of the educational objectives of the university, have an important place in higher education. The development of existing centers and the establishment of new centers at universities in Turkey is important to improve the learning environment in the context of contemporary theories and principles, professional development of the teaching staff and the development of cooperation in the field of higher education. In this context, the Higher Education Council should encourage the establishment of learning and teaching centers at state and foundation universities and initiate national support programs for this. Universities that have a learning and teaching center and want to establish a center should take care to ensure that the aims of the centers are in line with the goals of the university, that activities are carried out in line with these goals and that a sufficient number of personnel is assigned. Unlike this study in which qualitative method is followed, researchers can design quantitative studies in which the sample of learning and teaching centers is larger. In the learning and teaching centers, on-site observation studies that offer the opportunity to examine the dimensions of the centers in depth and interviews to determine the views of the stakeholders related to the centers can be conducted.