Faculty development
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The term faculty development is used similarly to staff development and professional development, in settings that pertain to educators.
Professional development for educators may include teacher training, and is usually considered pre-service, or before beginning teaching. However faculty development and professional development may both be used to refer to ongoing professional learning for educators. Such learning may take place during work hours, such as "in-service" within K-12 settings, or it may be beyond work hours. These learning pursuits may be for credit or noncredit; therefore they may be with a college or university, through a school district, or private consulting agency. Additionally educators may pursue self-directed learning professional development, although the term faculty development is less commonly applied to this scope of activity.
K-12 faculty development and professional development and higher education faculty development and professional development have very different traditions, practices and terminologies. Higher education faculty development is beginning to take place not just face-to-face but also online. Facilitated workshops, either in person or online, are the dominant forms of faculty development for instructors. Topics often include improving course design, learning assessment techniques, and innovative pedagogy.
Many higher education institutions in the United States have a center devoted to faculty development because faculty development is a key priority. Faculty development also is known as "educational development," which includes centers for teaching and learning (CTL). Some colleges and universities also refer to such services as faculty development centers (FDCs). The goals of CTLs and FDCs are diverse. In addition to instructional improvements, goals include faculty career advancement, development of the workplace and classroom climate and community, and graduate student professional development. In addition, some academic units have their own faculty development efforts to advance teaching and learning in their disciplinary, professional or field contexts. Further, academic librarians also have moved into faculty developer roles, bringing library training and experience to effective collaborations that support faculty development.
How this connects to Medical Education and Health Professions
Paediatric assessment is age-dependent: anatomy, expected vital signs, immune function, nutrition and development change rapidly from infancy to adolescence. Interpretation requires gestational or chronological age, growth trajectory, caregiver history and appropriate pediatric reference standards.
Text credit: Wikipedia contributors, “Faculty development”, original article · authors & revision history · CC BY-SA 4.0. Unmodified opening extract, accessed 24 September 2026. This Wikipedia-derived section is provided under CC BY-SA 4.0; the independent MedAtlas notes and design are separate works.
Faculty development · visual study map
Scalable vector illustration. Labeled conceptual map, not a precise anatomical, histological or diagnostic image.The wording in this learning map is adapted from the attributed Wikipedia background section below (CC BY-SA 4.0).
What the underlying subject studies
Biomedical research begins with a focused, ethically valid question. Define the study population, variables, measurements and decision-relevant uncertainty before selecting a method.
How mechanisms and evidence connect
Compare alternative study designs and account for sampling, confounding, bias, imprecision, missing data and the limits of causal inference. Sound statistical analysis cannot repair invalid measurements or unethical recruitment.
How to develop a sound explanation
Doctoral-level mastery involves reading primary methods, reproducing calculations, writing transparent protocols and defending the assumptions behind each conclusion. University-specific courses and laboratory competencies differ.
References and verification (optional)
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